Co-op Funeralcare - Reimagining Tributes for a Pandemic Era

Intro

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Co-op Funeralcare demonstrated its commitment to community support by reimagining how people could commemorate their loved ones when traditional funeral services were severely restricted. Through a thoughtful partnership with Reach, Co-op Funeralcare's "In Loving Memory" campaign brought back the printed obituary, using print media to support grieving families and provide vital information when it was needed most.

The Challenge

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for communities across the UK. With mortality rates rising sharply and social distancing measures limiting funeral attendance to between 6-20 people, many families were left without proper ways to say goodbye to loved ones. The UK experienced its highest increase in excess deaths since World War II, with 697,000 lives lost in 2020 – a rise of 14%.

While the government and news outlets provided regular updates on pandemic protocols, there was a critical information gap about how funeral services would function during this difficult time. As a market leader in funeral care, Co-op Funeralcare needed to:

1. Support grieving families who couldn't hold traditional services
2. Provide clear, reliable information about changing funeral regulations
3. Help communities find meaningful ways to commemorate lost loved ones
4. Maintain trust and demonstrate care during a period of national crisis

Insight

"And therefore, I urge you at this moment of national emergency to stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives..." - Boris Johnson, BBC News, 23 March 2020.

These words fundamentally changed how the UK approached death and remembrance. The closure of churches and funeral homes from 23rd March 2020 left grieving families with limited opportunities to celebrate and commemorate their loved ones.

Our research revealed that before the pandemic, funeral care planning was often overlooked, with 39% of the UK population claiming they hadn't made plans or even thought about their funeral arrangements. However, as mortality rates increased dramatically, this became more important than ever.

Simultaneously, 2020 saw a renewed importance of localism. People increasingly turned to local news sources and engaged more with their immediate communities. This created an opportunity to leverage regional connections in a way that would feel authentic and meaningful to those experiencing loss.

Strategy

Our strategy centred on a simple but powerful concept: "In Loving Memory: Bringing back the obituary."

While the digital transformation of media had diminished the traditional obituary over time, Co-op Funeralcare recognised that this classic format could be reimagined to address the unique challenges of the pandemic. The strategy focused on:

1. Addressing critical information gaps: Using news brands' authority to provide clarity on funeral regulations when other sources were focused elsewhere.
2. Building trust through trusted media: Leveraging news brands' established credibility to position Co-op Funeralcare as a reliable source of guidance.
3. Celebrating lives locally: Creating space for meaningful tributes when physical gatherings were impossible.
4. Balancing national reach with local relevance: Recognising that while the pandemic was national, its impact and regulations varied by region.

Execution, Solution and Innovation

Co-op Funeralcare partnered with Reach and its network of 125 national, regional, and local press titles to deliver the "In Loving Memory" campaign across the UK. This partnership enabled both national scale and local relevance, crucial factors as different regions faced varying restrictions throughout the pandemic.

The campaign launched with a double-page spread outlining government guidelines on funeral arrangements, providing much-needed clarity during confusing times. As regulations evolved, the campaign continued with weekly Q&A features to address common concerns.

The heart of the innovation was a fortnightly double-page feature in newspapers throughout the UK, giving families the chance to pay tribute to loved ones they had lost. Rather than publishing standard death notices, Reach's regional journalists worked closely with families to create detailed, personalised stories about their loved ones that were shared within their local communities—evolving the standard obituary into something with deeper meaning and purpose.

This approach required exceptional sensitivity. Each obituary was crafted to celebrate an individual's life and legacy while providing a sense of community mourning that was otherwise impossible during lockdown restrictions. By dedicating commercial media space to these personal tributes, Co-op Funeralcare provided a genuine service rather than simply promoting their business.

Result and Business Effect

The campaign demonstrated how a brand can create a meaningful impact by addressing a genuine societal need:

• Reached 10 million people nationwide with tailored messaging about funeral arrangements during the pandemic
• Allowed thousands of people to see their loved ones celebrated in their local community paper
• Increased trust levels by 22% for Co-op Funeralcare
• 75% of readers described Co-op Funeralcare as 'empathetic' and 'supportive'
• Market share increased by 3% during the campaign period, though driving sales was never the primary objective

Perhaps most significantly, Co-op Funeralcare received numerous unsolicited thank you messages from families grateful for the opportunity to celebrate their loved ones during such challenging times:

"Thank you so much for the tribute of my late father Alistair Menmuir—it is in this evening's Cambridge News—and it's beautiful. Thank you for shining Dad's light bright in what is for us a dark world."

The partnership with Reach demonstrated Co-op Funeralcare's authentic commitment to its brand values while providing genuine support to communities when they needed it most.

By looking beyond traditional commercial objectives to address a genuine societal need, this campaign exemplifies how brands can perform and transform—driving business outcomes while making a meaningful difference in people's lives.