Cremation Survey Says
This is a great time of year for a sports fan. The recently completed World Series once again produced some extraordinary moments, the beginning of the NFL season has given many of us a chance to augment our incomes by picking wisely in office pools, the college football season is marching forward to bowl season and college basketball is about to begin its crusade towards March Madness. Also the NBA season and everything else in between has whet the appetite of the sports fan (with the exception of hockey, which at press time remains locked out). Every year in every sport it is amazing that they have been able to plug more statistics into a sports broadcast. “The Colts are 6-0 this year playing indoor stadiums when Peyton Manning wears long sleeves….” Your get the idea. The managing and coaching of professional sports teams has become more reliant on statistical data than what they refer to as the “gut instinct.” Recently American Funeral Director surveyed some 2,500 consumers to find out what is on the mind as it pertains to the funeral and memorialization. Of the 798 respondents, 36 percent said they want to be cremated. This number is slightly higher than the 28 percent that the Cremation Association of North American predicted for the United States in 2003. The association further predicts that 2025, almost 43 percent of all deaths will result in cremation. It is more than just number salad, there is no greater tool than statistics to predict trends. And predicting by definition is staying ahead of current developments. Going inside the survey numbers you will find answers to questions you don’t know you had. For example 21 percent of survey respondents said they don’t care one way or the other whether to be buried or to be cremated. What this means is that as many as 57 percent of those in the survey may end up choosing cremation. This translates into a huge opportunity for educating the public that those in funeral service need to embrace, and it also may require a shift in the products and services you offer. The survey also found that of those who said they want to be cremated, 49 percent want their cremated remains scattered somewhere with no visible marker or memorial—not good news for the supplier segment. However, it should be noted that aftercare providers believe t hat not having a tangible place to grieve and mourn does significantly impact survivors—a message that deserves passing on to the community. Meantime 33 percent of survey respondents want some sort of market, while 18 percent don’t care. Only 17 percent would want their remains interred in a cemetery; 9 percent want their remains kept in an urn at home and 5 percent want their remains in a columbarium. This statistic invites funeral service professionals to be more creative and develop ceremonies and services designed around scattering. It also will send them back to the books to find out what are their particular state’s regulations concerning the scattering of cremated remains. How consumers address the subject of memorialization within cremation is still nebulous, but the survey revealed that a majority of respondents who will choose cremation, 60 percent indicated they did want some type of a memorial service. Before you call your next play make sure you have all the data.
If you or a family member have any further questions or concerns with respect to cremation, cremation services, cremation costs or a direct cremation please feel free to contact Cremation Options toll free 24 hours daily at 1-877-989-9090.