Selling Death

This week on Under The Influence, we look at how companies sell death.

While death is usually a forbidden word in advertising, the subject of death is slowly becoming more mainstream. We'll look at the one industry that truly specializes in it - the funeral business. From QR codes on headstones, to live cams on caskets, to fish reefs made from your ashes, funeral homes are starting to market brand new services to attract customers. We'll also look at the recent popularity of death as entertainment, with the record-breaking audiences for The Walking Dead and a certain reality show called "Best Funeral Ever."

Back in 2011, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock released a documentary called, "POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold."

It was a movie about product placement, and Spurlock's mission was to document the search for sponsors, and have those sponsors end up funding the film.

That eventually brought him to the offices of POM Wonderful. POM is a privately held company that sells a line of beverage and fruit extracts.

The company's main product is pomegranate juice, from which the word POM is derived.

According to reports, POM Wonderful agreed to pay Spurlock a million dollars for an "above the title" billing on the movie.

Hence, the title: "POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold."

It was the ultimate act of product placement - not just a scene in the movie, but a front-and-centre place in the title.

The documentary proved to be controversial, and attracted a lot of attention, for both Spurlock and POM Wonderful - a company that has had its own share of controversies along the way.

Two years earlier, the company had put up a contentious billboard in many of its markets around the world.

The billboard in question showed a bottle of POM Pomegranate juice, with a noose around its neck.

The headline said, "Cheat Death."

Under that was a sentence that read, "The antioxidant power of pomegranate juice."

The billboard immediately drew fire from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. They felt the ad trivialized suicide in an attempt at humour.

But just before POM agreed to take it down, something unusual happened.

A hawk built a nest on the billboard structure and hatched its chicks there.

And wildlife laws protect hawk nests and the structures they're built on. So after all the controversy, the billboard had to be left standing.

But it was also a rare occurrence for another reason.

The marketing industry is famously leery of the subject of death. It's a word that would be a tough sell in almost any advertising pitch meeting. It's also a topic that runs contrary to the holy grail in advertising: Which is a consumer with a long life of brand loyalty.

Yes, death is verboten in the world of marketing.

Yet if you look closely, you discover there are some profitable companies in the business of selling death. And how death is sold, packaged and marketed is rapidly changing.

And those innovations are to die for...

While death has long been a favourite topic of Hollywood, it is a forbidden one in advertising.

Because death has a way of putting a crimp in profit projections.

The underpinning of virtually all marketing is that life is good, here's a way to enhance your day, hope you'll buy our product again next week. And that last part is the key to all marketing pitches - that there will be a 'next week.' Marketers can't afford to find new customers every day, so brand loyalty is the key.

And death is a fly in that particular ointment.

Yet, if you dig deep enough into the marketing world, you do discover there are companies that sell death.

Death is indeed an industry. Or maybe, more specifically, the accoutrements surrounding one's demise.

Death is an interesting subject. It's one most people are very uncomfortable talking about.

Yet many of us kind of celebrate it with our kids each year...

Halloween is a $6 billion dollar day for retailers.

Candy makers reap almost 10% of their yearly sales during Halloween - making it the biggest candy holiday of the year.

It's an evening of the living dead, with ghosts, vampires, zombies, ghouls and witches.

People in North America spent over $2 billion dollars on Halloween costumes last year.

$1 billion of that was spent on children's costumes, and just in case you think of Halloween as a strictly kiddie event, know that 89% of adults aged 18-24 dress up, spending $1.2 billion on their costumes.

Not only that, $300 million was spent on costumes for pets.

It's also a night of spooky decorations that range from cobwebs and bats, to tombstones, skulls and sinister jack-o-lanterns, and we spend $1.6 billion to add those macabre touches to our homes and offices.

While some prefer not to participate in this celebration of all things dead by turning out their lights and not answering their doorbells, it's still one of the biggest traditions in our culture.

It's seen as a fun trick-or-treating night, and it's one of the few occasions we have an unguarded talk about deathly things.

Although that seems to be changing...

The funeral business is undergoing a big transformation lately. And it is selling death in entirely new ways.

A big part of that change is being driven by the baby boomers.

With the oldest boomers hitting the age of 70 this decade, one of the biggest demographics has started to think about their end game. Baby boomers are also the first generation raised as consumers from day one, so they know that funerals are a competitive service they can shop for, and they know what they want.

This generation is not beholden to priests or pastors, and want funeral services to be unique and highly customized - which is a big break from past eras of church-driven ceremonies where the only thing that was altered service-to-service was the name of the deceased.

For starters, cremation is on the rise.

Decades ago, cremation was done in only a small percentage of deaths, but today, it is becoming the preferred choice.

In the U.S., cremations just passed the one million mark for the first time in 2011, and it's predicted that cremations will account for 49% of all funerals by 2016.

In Canada, cremations are expected to exceed 63% in the same period.

There is also a growing demand for "green" funerals, and funeral operators are advertising eco-friendly burials to attract customers.

Those services include re-cycled paper products, locally grown organic flowers, organic food, no embalming - or embalming only with formaldehyde-free products, and car-pooling to the ceremony.

There are also a number of green cemeteries being marketed. They have strict rules on how interments can take place and they forbid embalming. Some do not even allow headstones, but rather flat stones that lie on the ground, or in some cases, just numbers so mourners can find the markers to pay their respects.

Green funerals have also bred an entirely new line of caskets.

Traditionally, over 90,000 tons of metal and over 1.6 million tons of concrete are used annually for burials. And those materials are not decomposing.

But funeral companies are now marketing interesting alternatives.

For example, there are now biodegradable coffins available that will actually add nutrients and mulch to the earth over time.

They're made from materials such as recycled paper, plywood, bamboo and cardboard. You can choose from options with silk-screened patterns, or feather linings, and they come in a wide variety of colours.

There is even a company in the UK that manufactures wool products such as uniforms, blankets and covers for snooker tables, that now finds itself in the funeral business.

It makes all-wool coffins.

You can also purchase wicker caskets.

One casket maker recently said wicker coffins now comprise nearly 15% of his total sales - up from 1% just a few years ago.

Atlanta-based company Eternal Reefs offers to take a person's ashes and turn them into an artificial "reef ball" - giving fish a new habitat where they can hang out.

The owner says people aren't quite sure what to do with "shelf people" - his phrase for people in urns on shelves - so this option lets families schedule beach vacations to visit their deceased relatives.

And that's just the beginning of the many ways death is being marketed.

In order to address the desires of a very technically-savvy public, funeral homes offer a variety of new digital services.

A company in Calgary offers to transmit funerals via Skype to people all over the world that aren't able to travel. Two years ago, they had just one request for a Skyped service all year. Today, they get one request per week.

Another undertaker reported that he markets the option of placing a live-cam directly on the casket during the wake, so people not present can watch the receiving line as a live stream.

Most funeral homes will film the service, archive it on their website, and make DVDs if requested.

I t's a very competitive category with lots of consumer choices, especially in larger cities, so funeral homes have to be on top of their marketing.

One of the most interesting innovations offered recently is QR codes on headstones.

In seconds, you're looking at photos and videos of the deceased, you're listening to their favourite music, reading remembrances, sharing pictures, writing in the guestbook, and posting your feelings on Facebook and Twitter.

One funeral company lets families update that content continuously, as they see fit, for $99.99 per year, or for a one-time cost of $149.99. (Interesting to note that the psychology of 99-cent pricing follows us to the grave).

QR codes are generally offered at no cost if you're purchasing a headstone from a memorial company, but you can purchase a QR code for around $75 if you want to add one to an existing monument.

While cemeteries rightfully contain a lot of tradition, rules and regulations, they are having to balance that sense of respect with the brave new world of technology.

Like the emergence of "funeral-selfies." A recent one that made the rounds showed a photo of a girl with the tweeted line: "Love my hair today. Hate why I'm dressed up. #funeral."

Actress Amy Adams was photographed at actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's funeral not long ago. Designer Valentino sent out an email blast with that photo saying, quote: "We are pleased to announce Amy Adams is carrying the Valentino Garavani Rockstud Double Bag from the Spring/Summer 2014 collection."

The company later apologised.

Welcome to the new world of marketing death.

Did you know that over 30 million Facebook profiles belong to dead people?

Clearly, it was a problem the creators of Facebook had to come to grips with. So in 2009, the site began offering "Facebook Memorial Pages." When a family member contacts Facebook and provides a death certificate or an obituary, the site will essentially freeze the deceased's page as a Memorial Profile.

Immediately, the deceased would no longer appear in the "People You May Know" suggestions.

The Privacy setting is changed to only confirmed friends and family, and any inappropriate information such as Status Updates and Contact Information is removed.

Family and friends can leave posts on the profile wall as remembrances, and only family members can take the page down. And presumably, advertisers are prevented from accidentally pitching the deceased.

Facebook is becoming a vast, 21st century virtual cemetery. So far, three million Memorial pages have been created.

The Huffington Post reported that people are able to still tag dead people in photos when they find themselves at the deceased's favourite restaurant, or their favourite bar, or when they are raising a drink to them with friends - no matter where they are in the world.

It has been said that Facebook is the new final level in the five stages of grief: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and now... online acceptance.

Some new 21st century funeral services have started to market themselves recently.

For example, MyWonderfulLife.com helps you plan your entire service online.

It helps you create a survivor checklist, it prompts you to note where important things in your life are located - like safety deposit boxes or buried treasures - it gives you an online place to share your memories and stories, upload photos, write your own obituary, design your own funeral marker, and - I'm not sure how I feel about this one - it will schedule posthumous emails to be delivered to loved ones after your death.

The company is also preparing an advertiser program for appropriate marketers who would like to advertise their wares on the site.

Another company called Everest, is a Funeral Concierge.

It markets its services as an impartial consumer advocate that is not affiliated with, nor does it accept commissions from, any funeral homes. Everest helps people with their end-of-life planning, or assists in arrangements in times of need.

The company is the first of its kind, available 24/7, and helps families compare prices of funerals, caskets and other funeral items, and removes people from a, quote, "sales-focussed environment" by negotiating on their behalf.

As the term "concierge" suggests, the company is a one-stop service for organizing all manner of funeral arrangements.

One of the most well-known funeral companies is Forest Lawn Memorial. Operating since 1906, it has interred many Hollywood celebrities, including Walt Disney, Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson.

But recently, Forest Lawn has adopted a new marketing strategy.

It has quietly set up kiosks in several malls across Southern California.

Their thinking is interesting: They want to reach people where they are, in a time of non-duress.

In other words, while people are doing their routine mall shopping, they might see a Forest Lawn kiosk and decide to wander in - while in a positive state of mind.

Many people are leery of seeking out funeral options long before they have to. It's a subject no one really wants to talk about. But in this era of baby boomers, who like to shop around, who want choice, who demand convenience in a non-intimidating environment, the mall kiosks just might catch on.

Then... there's corpse couture.

A company called Garments for the Grave markets clothing for the dead.

Founder Pia Interlandi realized that the clothes we wear in life are poorly designed for death. The dead don't need zippers, buttons or shoes. And most of all, they don't need durability.

So Interlandi designs hemp and organic cotton shrouds, silk blends for veils, and cotton lace for decoration.

The best part is - none of her creations are meant to last.

Meanwhile, eBay is doing a roaring business in the death category.

When I searched burial plots, one-hundred and eight options popped up - in all different locations across North America, in single and double plots, in all different price ranges.

When I searched coffins, I got over 12,000 results:

I also noticed a do-it-yourself woodworking book on how to build your own coffin. The description said, "Here's one project you won't want to put off until tomorrow."

Then there's our growing fascination with death as entertainment.

The Walking Dead is a series about a small group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.

They search for safe areas to live away from the zombies - who devour any living things they can catch, and their bite is infectious to humans.

When the program premiered in 2010, it attracted 5.3 million viewers, more than the World Series and 30 Rock.

The season three premiere drew a whopping 10.3 million viewers. In that season, The Walking Dead broke the existing record to become the highest rated series on cable television in the U.S., and the season four premiere became the highest-rated hour in cable television history with 16.1 million viewers.

It routinely tops highly rated live shows such as the NFL's Monday Night Football and the Olympics. To give you some context, the final episode of the acclaimed series Breaking Bad only attracted 6.7 million viewers.

The Walking Dead is THEE MOST WATCHED program in the coveted 18-49 demographic on television. The sweet spot for virtually every major advertiser. And here's where selling death really pays off:

Ad rates for The Walking Dead are as much as $600,000 per thirty-second spot - a number that rivals big NFL games at $570,000 per spot, and the top-rated Big Bang Theory at 326,000 per spot.

But maybe one of the clearest indications of the growing marketability and mainstreaming of death is when reality shows come knocking:

Last year, TLC premiered a new reality show called, Best Funeral Ever.

It followed the Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas, as it assisted various families with strange and unusual requests for themed funerals.

Including a ceremony with a chocolate covered coffin, a bowling-ball coffin that was sent down the alley, and a funeral where people dressed up as breakfast foods because the deceased loved to eat breakfast three times a day.

As the funeral director says, they put the "fun" in funeral.

In conclusion, it will probably be the last thing you ever buy.

Yet the decision on a funeral service and a casket just got a lot more complicated.

Long gone are the days when a funeral was a generic, sombre event. Because today, selling death is a brave new world. From wool coffins to do-it-yourself casket projects to artificial reefs made from your ashes, the choices are endless.

It's all the result of a generation that knows how to shop till they drop, and a funeral home category that finds itself in a very competitive environment.

Where marketing attracts the customer, and funeral concierges middle the deal.

And like in all corners of our world, the Internet has transformed the most intimate moments of our lives - helping us find love - to connecting with lost relatives - to now... posting our passing.

We can stream funeral services, attach live cams to caskets, stick QR codes on headstones and send emails after we're gone.

Shuffling off your mortal coil has become a big production and a competitive business.

It all comes down to going out in style...

...when you're under the influence.