In this episode, host Tony Russo and Lindsay Granson discuss rebranding funeral homes, managing large-scale operational integrations, and the shifting landscape of deathcare real estate. Lindsay shares insights from her transition from senior living to deathcare and details her strategic approach to rolling out new systems across almost 100 local funeral homes.
Key Takeaways
Rebranding and Digital Strategy
The decision to rebrand Oak Grove (formerly Brent Taylor Funeral Directors) was heavily driven by digital marketing and SEO challenges.
The former owner became a state senator, causing online search results to prioritize his political information over the actual funeral business.
Community members expressed some discomfort regarding the location’s political affiliations.
The rebrand was used to make a public statement emphasizing that the funeral home serves everyone in the community, regardless of political ties.
To reestablish its local presence, the newly rebranded business hosted a successful grand reopening with the local Chamber of Commerce.
Change Management and Operations
Lindsay’s team undertook a massive overhaul to integrate almost 100 funeral homes onto uniform case management, website, and accounts payable platforms.
To facilitate corporate change at the local level, Lindsay created funeral director and pre-need committees so field staff had a peer voice in the process.
Super users were selected and trained in various markets to act as local peer mentors for staff struggling with the new systems.
The company implemented Training Tuesdays, a weekly virtual training session that is recorded and stored in an accessible library for ongoing staff education and new hires.
The Future of Deathcare
Heritage has been holding off on new business acquisitions as they complete their system integration.
Taking on heavy real estate debt is becoming increasingly unsustainable and less attractive in the modern funeral industry.
The company launched Willow Cremation Services to provide an easy online experience and retain market share that was being lost to local storefront competitors.
Lindsay predicts that traditional funeral homes will eventually evolve into event centers equipped with retorts if the industry fails to adapt to changing consumer preferences.
