funeral are a $ 20 billion industry in the United States . And while most hoi polloi do n’t expect a peck of engineering at a funeral , the industry is trying to keep up with the times . That means that funeral domicile are n’t just sell casket any longer . They ’re selling an “ experience . ”
The Wall Street Journal just print a fascinating article about Foundation Partners Group , which have funeral home in 14 state . The CEO , Brad Rex , formerly ran Disney ’s Epcot root word ballpark , and has usher in “ multisensory experience way ” toall their funeral homes .
What ’s a multisensory experience room ? It ’s a “ life - size ” projection screen where mourners can take from stock telecasting of different location such as a beach or a waterfall . The intro includes audio , and perhaps most notably , scents . Disney is well sleep together for the element of scent in their topic parking area attraction , which makes their inclusion a no - brainer when you consider that Rex oversaw the introduction of ride likeSoarin’to Epcot .
you may even order a World Wide Web livestream of the funeral so that people who ca n’t attend in somebody can watch at home . The intact affair can also be read as a DVD souvenir .
All of the high-pitched - tech add - ons are a direct response to more and more Americans prefer to get cremate . Roughly half of Americans who drop dead last twelvemonth were cremate , compare with just 10 percent in 1980 . This is a huge trouble for the funeral industriousness , which used to depend on expensive casket and elaborate public showings for the bulk of their revenue .
Even the sales tactics have gone mellow - technical school , with Rex severalize the Wall Street Journal that they ’ve done aside with casket sales floors . Customers now face at their options on flat screen door , Rex said , “ just like if you rat on Amazon . ”
[ Wall Street Journal ]
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