CULTURAL AND ETHNIC INFLUENCES ON THE CASKET AND CREMATION MARKET
"One size fits all" is not a phrase that is seen in the Death Care Industry. Funeral Directors have a very difficult task of meeting the needs of each of their client families on a case-by-case basis. Those needs vary greatly from one call to the next. As suppliers to these funeral professionals, casket manufacturers, casket distributors and memorialization product supply companies attempt to offer the widest selection of products, keeping quality, price and availability standards. With these factors in mind, suppliers must determine the demand in the market for their products and plan accordingly. In gathering this research, suppliers must determine the factors influencing the demand. One of the major factors is the cultural and ethnic influence on Death Care. How do different groups / cultures within your market deal with death? What are their requirements concerning materials used, timeframes, styles, traditions and the many other influencing factors? These questions need to be answered with sound strategy and planning. Execution of a sound strategic plan will lower inventory costs, add to the bottom line, and keep your customers happy because their customers are happy.
Looking at information collected by the Census Bureau, you can determine the needs of the market as it breaks down not only by economic statistics, but also by ethnic statistics. The current US population is in excess of 300,000,000 people. Out of this overall population, nearly 10% are foreign-born. Many would say that it is only a small fraction of the overall, yet that small fraction amounts to somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 million plus men, women and children in the country. That number is only based on foreign-born residents or naturalized citizens; it does not include those second and third generation persons who still observe the customs and traditions of their ethnic heritage.
The foreign-born segment of the market varies greatly in saturation based on geography. California, New York, Florida, New Jersey and Texas are home to the greatest numbers of immigrants. Of these numbers, they break down even further to state that 51% of the foreign-born population is of Central American, South American and Caribbean decent (13.1 million people – 7.1 million of which are of Mexican heritage). 27% are Asian and 17% are European. With this information, demand for caskets and memorial products serving these specific groups exists as an influence on your offering and inventory needs.
As the demand is going to be different in every region, looking at the major groups your distribution channels reach is critical in making these determinations. If the growing segments are of Central/South American heritage, diversifying your offering to include Spanish, French and Portuguese product literature, traditional Roman-Catholic lines and supplies and personalization that follows the mores and traditions of those cultures would be a strong move to capture that niche in the marketplace. Also, researching and finding funeral directors who cater to these specific groups, discussing what options they offer and working with them to develop customized offerings would be helpful in gaining market share.
Determining the cultural make-up of your region can also assist in the control of inventory levels you carry. For instance, if you are serving an area with a large population of persons emigrating from India, you would consider offering a larger cremation casket, urn and shipping container array because their culture leans toward cremation. Obviously, as these groups assimilate into the American culture, the demand for culture-specific funeral supplies may decline as they adopt the cultural trends of the United States.
Religion, its traditions and customs, affects most rites of passage throughout the lives (and deaths) of most cultures and groups. Whether it is baptism or circumcision at birth, a debutant (or similar ceremony) as a rite of ‘coming of age’, marriage ceremonies and rituals, or funeral/burial customs, different religions treat these omnipresent milestones differently. Paying attention to and learning these rituals and how they have changed over time can create a competitive advantage, especially in the funeral industry. An example would be offering a plain, unadorned wooden box with pegs to seal and no metal, available overnight, would position yourself in a favorable spot to serve the needs of the Orthodox Jewish and some of the other Orthodox religions that hold their values close to ancient texts and customs.
Knowing the demographic and religious make-up of the regions you serve is a true advantage to the funeral supply professional. That is not to say that by carrying only these culture-specific products will ensure success, however, having the ability to serve the distinct needs of these segments will allow you to have the edge and position yourself top-of-mind. The information is readily available from www.census.gov and a phone call to a few of your customers will give you a good idea of the market and where to set benchmarks. From there, formulating a plan and determining measurable goals will provide guidance for serving the varying ethnic markets.
