Arbor Memorial: Reshaping the Sensitive Topic of Funeral and Cemetery Service

Arbor Memorial

Corporate & Financial

Our client Arbor Memorial, a leading funeral and cemetery service provider, partnered with Proof on a brand repositioning exercise. They were seeking a contemporary marketing approach that connected on an emotional level with their varied target audiences.

At the start

Leveraging insights from an in-depth discovery session, Proof worked with Arbor to replace their utilitarian positioning with one that acknowledged all the emotions that come into play before and after a death, and the need for customization.

Phase one of launching the re-brand externally included: Brand mapping exercise and identifying their brand voice.

A new outlook

Developing a full style guide for visuals and copy to set Arbor on a new path, free from previously stereotypical depictions of funeral homes and cemeteries.

Completely refurbishing their website, including producing almost a dozen videos to connect with their various audiences on an emotional level. Some videos are targeted at those grieving or facing the imminent death of a loved one, while others are lighter in tone, like educating millennials who may be unsure of funeral etiquette.

Embracing a new approach

An effective internal launch of the re-brand was equally important. Since Arbor’s business requires a high level of personal interaction with staff, they must exemplify the new brand in all of their customer interactions.  To ensure all Arbor staff understood and adopted the new brand values, a modular e-learning course was developed and rolled out to all staff.

Arbor is thrilled with the re-brand and is moving on to the next phase of their plan. Proof continues to support Arbor’s content marketing team by updating key personas, producing video content and assisting social media and email marketing strategy.