Is death profitable? Stewart Enterprises, Inc. outlines for us in their 1998 annual report review how and why it is for them.
When the report was written, the company was one of the largest providers of funeral services in the United States. To maintain the company’s air of individuality, clichés have been avoided which would otherwise give the impression of off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all copy. Facts including statistics are widely used to deliver the message that the company is growing and wants to be the choice for as many families as possible.
The simple conversational writing style reflects the company’s brand and culture, straightforward and easy to deal with. Frequent use of the subjects ‘we’ and ‘our’ create an inclusive feel and also suggest that the report takes responsibility for its actions. That said, the use of plain English conveys a feeling of guarded optimism while refusing to promise anything else. Soothing words to reassure shareholders all is well perhaps.
It’s clear the investors’ needs are paramount because the main bulk of text in the review is addressed ‘To our shareholders’. The financial details that follow indicate the thing Stewart Enterprises cares most about is its bottom line and that they see the business of death as a commodity.
There are several first-hand accounts in the form of testimonials illustrating different aspects of the company’s business, particularly pre-need funeral planning. They focus on family and community relationships which helps to position the company as the service of choice in times of distress; one that delivers an individual, personal dedicated service to people at a difficult time in their lives due to the death of a loved one. This company ethos echoes throughout the review right from the front cover title ‘Serving Families One At A Time’.
Both the writing style and the photographs pull at memories of an earlier time when most families used the services of the family-run funeral home. This is designed to give the feeling of a ‘mom and pop’ type of operation even though Stewart Enterprises is a national organization. Local funeral homes and cemeteries have long-established reputations of being respected family-operated businesses that have served families in their communities for years, perhaps even generations. By drawing on these memories the review seeks to capitalise on that reputation and thereby present Stewart Enterprises in a similar light through association.
Back
