December 2019

Page A27 DECEMBER 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A There is a Better Way to handle your funeral home communications 1-800-868-9950 myASD.com News Association Consumers Moving Past Tradition for Funerals, Survey Says BROOKFIELD,WI— This year, one thing is certain: consumers’ preferences for funerals and memorialization are rapidly evolving. According to the 2019 Consumer Aware- ness and Preferences Study conducted by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), Americans are increasingly aware of and interested in personalization options, green burials and using a funeral home that’s familiar or has been used by a loved one be- fore – with less of an emphasis on the reli- gious elements that were once a cornerstone of the funeral ritual. This creates a unique op- portunity for funeral directors to provide the kind of experience that more and more con- sumers have come to expect and even plan for as times and priorities change. Thousands of funeral directors and funeral service professionals from around the globe gathered to learn how to meet these challeng- es as they flocked to the McCormick Place receive support from a larger online network. Green Funerals: Over half (51.6 percent) of respondents would be interested in exploring “green” funeral options because of potential environmental and cost-saving benefits. During the convention, funeral service pro- fessionals learned to address these and oth- er consumer trends to provide more holistic, modern services that help families grieve and heal in a healthy way. NFDA is the world’s leading and larg- est funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who rep- resent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, WI and has an office in Wash- ington, DC. For more information, contact 800-228-6332 or visit www.nfda.org. in Chicago, October 27-30, for the 2019 NFDA Interna- tional Convention and Expo. This annual event, the largest gathering of funeral direc- tors in the world, enabled at- tendees to take advantage of seminars, the world’s largest funeral expo, unique tours, social events and more. “Consumer needs and pref- erences drive and inform the services that funeral homes provide to grieving fami- lies,” said Chuck Bowman, NFDA president. “I looked forward to being with my colleagues at the NFDA Convention to discuss the common challenges we face and exchange ideas on how we can meet and even ex- ceed families’ expectations to ensure they are able to me- morialize their loved ones in meaningful ways.” Specific, significant find- ings in the 2019 Consumer Awareness and Preferences Study pointing to changing expectations and preferences included: Location of Cremated Re- mains: Of those who prefer cremation, 48 percent of re- spondents would prefer their cremated remains be scat- tered in a sentimental place. This is a result of declining importance of religion (only 35 percent of respondents felt it important in the fu- neral of a loved one) as well as an increase in factors like non-traditional funeral loca- tions, services presided over by non-clergy and interest in celebrants. Technology and Social Me- dia: 55.6 percent of con- sumers have visited a funer- al home’s website to look for an obituary, write an online condolence or look up con- tact information. Addition- ally, 77 percent of respon- dents use Facebook and 16 percent of those that use it have visited a funeral home’s Facebook page. Overall, the internet and social media have impacted grieving and memorialization, making it easier for people to give and