Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - S3E20 - Selling Death

Episode Date: May 18, 2014

This week, 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly. As you may know, we've been producing a lot of bonus episodes while under the influences on hiatus. They're called the Beatleology Interviews, where I talk to people who knew the Beatles, work with them, love them, and the authors who write about them. Well, the Beatleology Interviews have become a hit, so we are spinning it out to be a standalone podcast series. You've already heard conversations with people like actors Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell, and Beatles confidant Astrid Kershaw. But coming up, I talk to May Pang, who dated John Lennon in the mid-70s. I talk to double fantasy guitarist Earl Slick, Apple Records creative director John Kosh. I'll be talking to Jan Hayworth,

who designed the Sgt. Pepper album cover. Very cool. And I'll talk to singer Dion, who is one of only five people still alive who were on the Sgt. Pepper cover. And two of those people were Beatles. The stories they tell are amazing. So thank you for making this series such a success. And please, do me a favor, follow the Beatleology interviews on your podcast app. You don't even have to be a huge Beatles fan, you just have to love storytelling. Subscribe now and don't miss a single beat. We'll see you next time. new locations. What matters is that you have something there to adapt with you, whether you need a challenge or rest. And Peloton has everything you need, whenever you need it. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. From the Under the Influence digital box set, this episode is from Season 3, 2014. He's a waiter that no, no, no!

You're not you when you're hungry. You're in good hands with us. You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. Back in 2011, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock released a documentary called Palm 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. So what I want to do is make a film

all about product placement, marketing, and advertising, where the entire film is funded by product placement, marketing, and advertising. That eventually brought him to the offices of Palm Wonderful. Palm 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 palm is derived.

According to reports, Palm Wonderful agreed to pay Spurlock $1 million for an above-the-title billing on the movie. Hence the title, Palm 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 center place in the title. The documentary proved to be controversial and attracted a lot of attention for both Spurlock and Palm 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 Palm 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 humor. But just before Palm 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. You're under the influence. While death has long been a favorite 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 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

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 to 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 endgame. 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 recycled paper products, locally grown organic flowers, organic food, no embalming, or embalming only with formaldehyde-free products,

and carpooling to the ceremony. There are also a number of green cemeteries being marketed. They have strict rules on how interments can take place. 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 biode 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 screen

patterns or feather linings and they come in a wide variety of colors. 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. I'm looking at a photo of one right now that you can see on our website, and I have to say, it's a nice looking item. One casket maker recently said wicker coffins now comprise nearly 15% of his total sales, up from 1% just a few years ago. So you're thinking about funeral arrangements and you don't know quite what to do. Well the people at Eternal Reefs have the answer. It really appeals to people because it's a way for there to create a permanent

living memorial that will give back to the environment. They are called reef balls. Within each one are the ashes of a loved one it's a way to have a lasting memorial and help the environment 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.

Around noon, a military honor guard performed a flag ceremony for three of those who are being laid to rest. Tomorrow, a boat will carry the eight reef balls to their final resting place in the Chesapeake Bay. These are the first eternal reefs to be placed in the bay. And that's just the beginning of the many ways death is being marketed. We are gathered here today to bid a fond farewell to a wonderful world who lived a long and meaningful life. 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 Skype 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 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. It'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. Small and inconspicuous, just the size of your thumbnail, QR codes can be quickly scanned with your smartphone. In seconds, you're looking at photos and videos of the deceased, you're listening to their favorite 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 round showed a photo of a girl with the tweeted line, Love my hair today, hate why I'm dressed up, hashtag 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, We are pleased to announce Amy Adams is carrying the Valentino Garavani Rock Stud Double Bag from the Spring-Summer 2014 collection. The company later apologized. Welcome to the new world of marketing death. And we'll be right back. If you're enjoying this episode, why not dip into our archives, available wherever you download your pods. Go to terryoreilly.ca for a master episode list. 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, 3 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 favorite restaurant or their favorite bar or when they're raising a drink

in their honor 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-focused 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, 111 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, listing various coffin designs and shapes, coffin hardware, and even antique coffins. 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 3 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 4 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 the 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 30-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. If they want to dunk a basketball, Golden Gate Funeral Home can make that happen for them. If they want to jump out of airplanes, Golden Gate Funeral Home can make that happen for them.

Our services are over the top. That's why I have to have a 110% commitment for my funeral plans. Anything less than that, and I'm showing you the door. 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 casket strapped on a mechanical bull,

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. On this special Best Funeral Ever, Sunday, January 6th at 10, only on TLC. As the Golden Gate Funeral Director says, they put the fun in funeral. It will probably be the last thing you ever buy.

Yet, the decision on a funeral service and a casket just got a whole lot more complicated. Long gone are the days when a funeral was a generic, somber 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. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This is the public library calling.

Our files show that you checked out a book entitled How to Build Your Own Coffin on March 11th. You are two months overdue. So we're just calling to remind you and to make sure that everything's okay. Thank you. Under the Influence was produced at Pirate Toronto. Sound engineer, Keith Ullman.

Theme music by Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre Series Coordinator, Debbie O'Reilly Research, Lama Balagi Feel free to follow me on Twitter at Terry O'Influence Okay, I won't beat around the bush. I like the cut of your jib. And your jib would look even better in an Under the Influence t-shirt. You'll find them on our shop page at terryoreilly.ca slash shop. See you next week.

New year, new me. Season is here and honestly, we're already over it. Enter Felix, the healthcare company helping Canadians take a different approach to weight loss this year. Weight loss is more than just diet and exercise. It can be about tackling genetics, hormones, metabolism. Felix gets it. They connect you with licensed healthcare practitioners online who'll create a personalized treatment plan that pairs your healthy lifestyle with a little help and a little extra support.

Start your visit today at felix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X dot C-A.