Golden Gate Funeral Home has four locations in Texas.
Browsing their website and watching their commercial, I had an immediate notion of who they are and the type of services they sell.
They don’t sell their long history in the community (even though they have one). They don’t sell the amazing variety of services they offer (although they probably could do a specialized service, if asked). They don’t even push their convenience to local churches, cemeteries or highways.
They sell their prices and their vehicle fleet. (Their fleet is awesome - Hummer, Mercedes, Chrysler 300, etc.)
And they put their prices right on their website. Separated into 13 different funeral packages, their offerings range in price from $795 for a graveside service in a cloth-covered casket to $30,000 for the Diamond package.
Do they provide immediate burial or direct cremation? Possibly, but those are not options listed on their website. They use the web as a marketing tool. It helps them weed out the visitors that just “aren’t their clients.”
These people have figured it out. Which may be why they just opened their fourth facility.
May 31, 2007 at 2:26 pm
When I first saw this commercial several months ago, I thought it was a parody.
There are those of us in this industry who are working to maintain a dignified air around a situation that is mocked and knocked more and more often. I think marketing like this sets us all back.
May 31, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Yes, the commercial is extreme and walks the tightrope between selling a service and disrespecting the dead.
How do I feel about the ad? It’s more “cheeky” than I would use for my own funeral home, but it is effective in the sense that it clearly points to the benefits the funeral home provides.
Does it hurt the industry? I doubt it, mostly because people can differentiate between the “Crazy Guy” funeral home and the ones that choose to advertise in quieter ways.
In my area, we have the “Crazy Deals!” guy that sells appliances. While I might think his commercials are hokey and over-the-top, I don’t transfer that feeling to the 80-year old appliance dealer on Main Street.
Still, I cringed when I first saw this ad.
May 31, 2007 at 4:25 pm
I like your website. We have been in business for 11 months. Would you like to help us be successful. We have an awesome historical building and new prep room, but we are running out of ideas on how to advertise successfully. I would love to hear from you.
June 4, 2007 at 11:21 am
Diane:
We’d love to review your current advertising and offer a few suggestions.
I’ve already checked out your website and those of your nearest competitors. I’ve got a few tips already!
So call me or reply to the email I sent you two days ago.
Thanks, TIM
June 22, 2007 at 3:02 am
I think that the adversement is like a use car saleman,make you wonder can I trust these guys are will they be as slick as snake oil salesman.