This week’s announcement from Tribute Technology and Chptr was more than just a press release — it signaled a truly historic shift in the way today’s deathcare professionals share death notices and obituaries. Tribute Spotlights, the nation’s largest broadcast memorial platform, now offers you the opportunity to publish dynamic video tributes throughout an ever-growing network of more than 200 television markets, providing your funeral home with a new, lucrative revenue stream, increased brand recognition, and a reputation as a differentiator in a competitive landscape.
A modern and meaningful solution
Tribute Technology and Chptr launched Tribute Spotlights in February to assist funeral directors and families in sharing the news of death and pending arrangements with as many people as possible. Not only do Spotlights expand your memorial offerings well beyond the reach of the local newspaper or your own website; they also transform the typical printed notice and family-submitted photo montage into an engaging and informative video, professionally produced by the Chptr team.
“At Chptr, our mission has always been to help people celebrate and remember lives in the most authentic way possible,” says Rehan Choudhry, Co-Founder and CEO of Chptr. “Through Tribute Spotlights, we’re able to combine our storytelling expertise with Tribute Technology’s powerful platform to bring memorials to audiences at a scale never before possible. We’re proud to partner with Tribute Technology to give funeral homes a tool that not only honors families’ loved ones but also elevates their visibility and value in the communities they serve.”
Thanks to a full integration with your Tribute Technology-powered platform, every Spotlight can be easily initiated and seamlessly shared with your local television stations for immediate broadcast and inclusion on the station’s website. The simplified process places no extra burden on your team members, while exponentially expanding the scope of your care.
While families can opt out of Spotlight broadcast coverage, funeral homes that have shared this unbelievably affordable package with families have witnessed an amazing adoption rate. For example, 90% of families served by Hill & Wood Funeral Service in Charlottesville, Virginia, have opted to televise their Chptr-produced tributes with local news channel 29News WVIR.
“We offer Chptr to every family through our professional services charge with an opt-out option,” says Tess Willets, Vice-President of Finance at Hill & Wood. “We’ve received a good bit of positive feedback from both families and viewers alike.”
Benefits beyond the broadcast
With each Spotlight, Hill & Wood Funeral Service has reached at least 218,000 households, equating to a media value of more than $2,250 per announcement — roughly ten times the investment in the package and in addition to the built-in charge to families. In most markets, each Tribute Spotlight death notice and one-minute memorial video costs your funeral home $225, with longer memorial videos available upon request at an additional charge. Spotlight bundles of 25 videos per month are also an option, as are custom packages for funeral homes seeking exclusive coverage in their market. Some funeral homes have also been able to include their own ads in the broadcast at no charge with unused airtime, amplifying their savings along with their visibility within the community.
Tribute Spotlights live on the television station’s website, but link back to yours at no additional cost, which increases traffic and SEO value each time you publish an obituary. The Spotlights platform also automatically generates social media-ready visuals that families can post to their profiles to complement their personal remembrances of their loved ones. Families can also upgrade their memorial to a longer, more comprehensive video that is sure to become a treasured keepsake.
“Tribute Spotlights transforms a moment of remembrance into a powerful way to connect families, friends, and entire communities while increasing the funeral home’s visibility on broadcast TV,” adds Courtney Gould Miller, Tribute Technology’s President of Commercial Markets. “This is truly a win for funeral homes and families.”
Spotlighting success
The partnership of Tribute Technology and Chptr has been overwhelmingly successful, exceeding the expectations of and prompting glowingly positive feedback from both families and the funeral homes to whom they entrust their loved ones. Tribute Spotlights are a new and innovative way to elevate your funeral home above those using more traditional (and typically more costly) obituary options.
To learn more about Tribute Spotlights, visit https://www.tributetech.com/tribute-spotlights, or reach out to your Tribute Technology representative.
