By Joey Haas
Heather:
Welcome. And thanks for joining us at Funeral Innovations. In these videos, we chat with industry leaders to discuss marketing trends, tips, and technology innovation, and discuss how digital marketing helps you better serve your families. I’m Heather Meirzejewski, I’m the Marketing Director here at Funeral Innovations
Joey:
And I’m Joey. I’m the Marketing and Design Coordinator at Funeral Innovations.
Heather:
And today our guests are Gerard Brockmeyer Jr. And Gerard Brockmeyer Sr. from Vital ICA. Thanks guys so much for joining us. Awesome. Hey, do you guys want to start by just telling us a little bit about yourselves and about Vital ICE?
Gerard Sr.
Well, maybe I can go first. Cause I’ve been at it for a long time. I had actually been dealing with funeral homes off and on for over 40 years. I started a company by the name of Midwest Consumer Specialties Memorial Service Marketing, where we did memo boards that go on refrigerator doors and with funeral homes. And we did we used to do a pre email. He did a lot of mailings with upper age bracket mailings and came about that we started putting, we were actually actually asked to do it by a couple of funeral homes and it worked so well we did it for all of them. Put the EMS information on the back of our boards where the seniors could have their medicines, that they were taking, the medicines that they were allergic to their blood type, any of their, you know, different kind of what was wrong with them, what was right with them, their emergency contact, personal, that kind of thing. And then put our heads together cause we kind of knew that it was coming that we wanted to get involved with this at a whole nother level. And that’s where the app came from. Start asking funeral directors about this and saying, hey, if we had an app to go with this with the boards, you know, would you be interested? And it was, it was overwhelming. How many of them said, heck yeah, we’re what do we do with this? How do we do about this? So we start asking a lot of questions about what they would want and what they felt was necessary because they were dealing with the older population all the time. So got a lot of ideas from them. Put a lot of things together with the IT people, we weren’t smart enough to do it ourselves. He asked enough questions could you do this? Could you do that? They said, no, we hung in there for a while until he said yes, on what we wanted on the app. And that’s how it all came about.
Joey:
Awesome. So would you guys mind talking a little bit about how you serve the funeral industry specifically like through your app and how it ties in, how the two tie in together?
Gerard Jr.
Yeah. The app itself is it in case of emergency app. It was, it was designed like you just heard it. It was specifically for funerals put out in their communities, link them up with the locals EMS. And so what the App in-turn does, it has the funeral homes logo on it, sponsoring the app because they are the one bringing you to the community and making them available to them community. So it gives the funeral home a different way to put their name out there to be perceived to be active in the community because they have the opportunity to do something that actually helps save lives instead of being there. At the end, they can be there during the try and help you prolong getting to the end. So I ended up being really nice. Everyone always laughs when they see the piece in the paper or something saying funeral home saving lives. What an oxymoron! It kinda catches, catches everybody’s attention, but it really is. Like I said, it’s another opportunity. It’s a different way for a funeral home to have their name out there and what, the way the app is based, it can be marketed, can be showed shown and everything. It’s great to show on websites. It’s great to show on social media like Facebook and things like that. So it’s just, it’s a marketing tool that kind of reaches all ends where, like I said, the social media that the websites, the community events, lunch and learn seminars, it’s a handy tool for them to be able to use to in turn, reach out into the community.
Gerard Sr.
The funeral industry has changed so much that that same old, same old stuff doesn’t work anymore. And so a lot of funeral homes, a lot of them are looking for a product just like this, where they can have their name out there, but it’s associated with living. We’ve had more funeral directors where we’re getting ready to walk out the door, pass on the back, say you would not believe how will we have to overcome the perception that we’re like the Grim Reaper, waiting at the door for somebody to die. What this product does is reach in the community saying not only do we want you to be here, we have a way to help you be here. It’s awesome. It’s an amazing product that has a lot of things attached to it. It’s when you say it’s an app, it’s an app, but Oh my gosh, what, what comes with it? It’s pretty amazing.
Heather:
When one of the things I really heard you guys say that I think would resonate with funeral directors is that this is about helping other people. And I hear that from our clients so often that really what they view their mission is, is to help people at a really different time. So here’s another way to just put that out there for their community.
Gerard Sr.
And it has, it has a before and after effect too, because it’s great to talk about if you’re putting a group together, you’re talking about preneed, it’s amazing to talk about if you’re putting a group together for aftercare. Oh my gosh, what this thing has in it and the ability that it has to help people on its own. It’s, it’s seriously it’s it sounds like, you know, it’s like, Oh, this guy, you know, he’s pumping up what he’s doing it, but it’s really amazing. The product is amazing for what it does and how it helps people. It makes you feel good about what you’re doing.
Heather:
Yes. When did you say that the product launched, when did Vital ICE start?
Gerard Jr.
It was back in 2015,
Heather:
2015. Can you give us a little update on say like the changes to the app over the past several years or has it stayed pretty consistent or is it different now than it was at the beginning?
Gerard Jr.
I mean, in the general concept, if it is kind of the same, but we’re as with any app that’s out there, you have to keep evolving, keep up to date with the changes to the phones and everything else. But we’ve added an increase and enhanced the location software within the app. It is really accurate. When you let somebody know what’s your need of help and where you are, we’ve added to the the medical information, that’s there, the different medical outcomes, different things that are going on that you can walk through. You can store your insurance card within the app, keep updating the database and medications because there is now a full medication reminder within the app as well.
Gerard Sr.
There’s a monthly reminder that goes out telling folks and asking them, have you updated your medical information in your Vital ICE app automatically goes out to each. So it’s it’s, I don’t want to sound trite when I say this, but when it was put together it was pretty thoroughly put together because we asked a lot of questions for a long time to a lot of funeral homes and a lot of seniors. What would you want, if you had this, what would you want in it?
Gerard Jr.
And in turn, we’ve backed that up by going to local EMS here and saying, well, this is what we’re hearing on your end. What are the steps we need to take? Because we are a hundred percent HIPPA compliant. So we had to make sure all along the way we’re staying compliant and plus making sure that it was getting to the targeted information that the paramedics EMT.
Joey:
So, in talking about changes to the app and how you guys have been how things have changed over the past few years. Looking at in the last few months, like how have you guys been impacted by the pandemic and, and have you had to make any adjustments to the app because of that?
Gerard Jr.
As far as changes to the app, we haven’t really had to make any changes to the app itself. We’ve kind of had to change what we do to go about seeing people because we’re still some of the rare ones that still go into the funeral every day of the week. We don’t do this via email and via phone calls and that sort of thing. So we that’s been different for being home for over three months. We’re usually on the road four days a week, every week seeing funeral homes and servicing in person. And cause a lot of times questions that they have or questions that, you know, can’t be answered via email can be answered via phone, but it’s also something that if somebody’s trying to think of best way to say it, if somebody who doesn’t understand an app or how an app works you showed all of them in person and they can get it like that. As opposed to trying to walk them through kind of a little bit. So it’s, there’s a lot of things and some different nuances that we’re trying to make sure funeral homes and funeral directors understand get it, how to use it. Some different things like that that we’re just, we’re doing our best to kinda super serve everybody and on top of kind of where we’re at with things, and staying up to date.
Gerard Sr.
It’s so much easier to do in person so much easier, but it’s just, it’s one of those things that we haven’t been able to. So we have basically been talking to a lot of our previous customers and renewing them by phone and things like that because they already knew us. They already knew what we had. They already knew what we could do. It’s been very difficult to get new customers because it’s hard to reach out and show the app, but you know, it’s like, here’s my phone. Do you want to see it also it’s because you actually have to show them this app on your phone. So it’s pretty hard to do a demonstration unless you’re their person and going through it all.
Heather:
Yeah, I imagine so. And it sounds like you guys are missing the human contact
Gerard Sr.
Cause you’re talking to a couple people that really enjoy it. I know it sounds crazy today’s world, but that’s what I was brought up doing. That’s what I know. That’s what he knows. Cause that’s what he got brought up.
Gerard Jr.
I have a wife and daughter at home. I think they’re tired of me.
Heather:
I hear ya. I hear ya. My kids got tired of me. So since you guys have been in the industry for a while, can you just talk in general about some of the changes that you’ve seen take place in the industry over the years.
Gerard Sr.
When you say it for a while? I guess you’re talking to me the experience of there. I get that all the time when you’re working with your kid, it’s tough. Sometimes I’m telling you no respect, but anyway it used of the businesses evolve the change so much because it was when I first started, it was, it was a business that was passed on generation wise and a lot of times, whatever dad did or whatever grandpa did, I’m going to do, I’m not going to do anything different. We’re here. It was lasted this long. I don’t want to rock the boat. Things changed. They changed and not just with COVID. I mean, they changed a long time ago where more and more things that people used to do, they quit working a lot of mailings and those kinds of things quit working. They weren’t getting the feedback. They weren’t getting the immediate response that they had gotten before and things like that. So the business has changed. Some of the business has changed for some folks, unfortunately towards cremation or different things like that. So the service side of this had to bring in services and different things like that in different modes of making money in their business. I think social media has changed a lot of peoples, they’ve had to change a lot of people’s minds from a funeral director standpoint. The newspaper has become also a thing of the past the things that used to work like church bulletins and yellow page ads and those kinds of things, they’ve all changed. Those things don’t work anymore. They just don’t. And more and more people are on social media, whether they were 20 or 80, they were on social media that the older folks were seeing their grandkids on social media. You know, that’s how they were seeing them, when they didn’t live right next door, things like that. So the funeral homes had to adapt to that. People like us in the advertising business had to adapt to that from one, from number of boards and information on the back of number of boards, three, a mess of doing it for goodness sakes, doing an app, you know? So it’s, yeah, it’s changed a lot. I mean, it’s, it’s like 180 degree change. And you have to change with the times you have to adapt to that or else she gets swallowed up and left behind. So having somebody younger around helps with that, Gerard says, no, we gotta do it like that. They have to do it like this, we got, you know, so I get it and watch people change. And not as many businesses get hand down family to family. Now there’s more people buying into the industry in different places. You have conglomerates buying in, but some of those get sold off and people come in young entrepreneurs come in and buy those funeral homes from them when they don’t do as well with them and stuff like that anymore. So yeah, it’s changed a lot and it’s become a younger industry a lot of funeral directors in the business and they have young ideas and I think that’s why our product came in at the right time of it. It just did. I mean, we’re working with over 4,100 funerals now and that’s, and it’s been a big part of it as a lot of the younger funeral directors see the vision of what it takes today to reach the people.
Heather:
Yup. That all makes a lot of sense. And I think it really reflects what we’ve heard from our clients and what we’ve seen as our business has progressed over the past few years. Yeah. Joey, do you have another question?
Joey:
Yeah. So kind of speaking to, obviously you guys were talking about how social media has changed things and a lot of things are becoming more digital and you were talking about how funeral directors are younger now you’re seeing, so kind of speaking on those trends, like what technology trends do you see kind of for the future of your industry and moving forward? What things can we expect?
Gerard Jr.
Social media is going to stay a big part of it. It just is, just the way people communicate anymore. People talk on their phone. So I think you’re going to see a lot of, you’re gonna have a lot of more personalized options, I think in the funeral industry as opposed to kind of everybody doing their cookie cutter service, they’re going to adapt and people are gonna want things a specific way and personalized way. And you’re also gonna see a lot of, and I think COVID has brought some of the song quicker than they probably anticipated. You’re going to see a lot of streaming services. A lot of people that are gonna intend services via phone or via a RingCentral or a Zoom or whatever you want to say. It’s, a lot of it is going to go this route where I don’t know that you’re going to always pack funeral homes anymore. You’re going to have a lot of streaming services, a lot of viewings and things done remotely and things like that. They’re gonna, just the way people seem to keep going. Like I said, there’s you, you can walk through a restaurant, well, you could use to walk through the restaurant before all this, you can walk through a restaurant at 25%, but there’s still, everybody’s got their head down on their phone. Everybody just talks via the phone. And so that’s, that’s kind of what everybody in. I know that’s where you guys came into this along the way too, is funerals being able to reach out to people that have their head buried in their phone. And so that’s, that’s just kind of what they have to get used to and where it’s at.
Heather:
Yeah, for sure. We have that same philosophy of, we should meet people where they are and provide a connection. People still need a connection. We want to provide it where they are. That’s just the fact of the matter right now. Even though I still do believe people need that human interaction too.
Gerard Sr.
No doubt. And I’m, I’m that old school person that really does need that, you know, but it’s just, just be talking personally. That’s, you know, for me, I miss it. I miss it a lot, you know, four walls is a son of a gun for somebody who’s been on the road and do things like that for 35, 40 years. It’s pretty tough.
Joey:
Very nice. I was wondering if you guys could talk about maybe any future plans you have for the app. Do you have any, you know, anything in the works for updates moving forward on the app? Things you’re looking to change that haven’t happened quite yet or anything like that?
Gerard Jr.
Yeah, there we’ve kinda, well, first off with every app you have always have to constantly update. Like I said, there’s updates in the works right now because of phones getting bigger phones, resolutions, getting bigger. Apple switched their operating system up a little bit. So we had to make updates there. But the other thing is, is our, our app has an emergency alert system in it where you can alert up to 10 of your context that you’re in need of help. But there’s also been some feedback we’ve gotten that people also want to have that available to not necessarily say, you know, I need help, but just let you know. I’m okay and I’m at home. So there’s gonna be a, a button added to it, to where you can let everybody know. Yeah, I’m safe at home. I’m good to go.
Heather:
Yeah. Or for if there’s a tornado in their area or something like that,
Gerard Sr.
You kept hearing about from different funeral homes and as they’re constantly talking and listening, but that they would go into a home and somebody had passed away and had been there for two, three days. And, but nobody had ever made contact with them. And so everybody should have somebody that they stay in contact with. That shouldn’t happen. And so it’s become a big deal to them. It’s become a big deal to the industry. So that’s how we thought we would. We’re working at adding that to the app as part of it and just call it like a “Home Alone” feature where nobody ever is really home alone. So it’s good from a lot of aspects. It’s gonna make everybody feel more comfortable. And I think that’s where we’re at in society today. Anyway. So I mean, if it helps, it helps. That’s what it’s about.
Heather:
Sure. So this is our last question. We asked this question to everybody that comes on. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from serving in this industry?
Gerard Sr.
For me, for me, it’s probably the fact of what the funeral home, the funeral director, the funeral home owner about them. You don’t think about it as much. I mean, I not too recently lost somebody very, very, very dear to me, close to me, and funeral directors to me it’s become a ministry for them. You don’t realize that when you’re first starting talking to funeral homes, because you’re in business, you’re a business person talking to that business person and your vendor is selling a product. And that’s kind of what you feel about it. You don’t get to spend a whole lot of time. The, the thing that this product has let us do. And let me do personally, is you get to spend more quality. I get to spend more quality time with the person I’ve talked to ,with my funeral home owner, with my funeral director. And this thing is truly a funeral director is committed. I mean, it is, it is a ministry for them. It’s not a, just a business. And I have come to appreciate that. I mean, I really have, I mean, I, they, they take a back seat to nobody when it comes to, because they’re having to deal with people at the very worst time with anybody that they can go through. And to me, that takes a special person to be able to do that. And I, I have a whole nother admiration for them because of that. And it’s one of the reasons I enjoy doing what I do, because I feel like I’m helping them do their job.
Heather:
Thanks for that.
Gerard Jr.
He he pretty well summed that up. Pretty good there it’s cause we, we both lost the same person and we we kind of saw it all firsthand and went through it all and kinda the way they were always there for you to with the calls, with a pat on the back of the, with the hug, with the help anytime needed. It’s like I said, it’s, I kind of went from just kind of talking to these guys every day, just one-on-one to kind of really having a different kind of a view of seeing what they did and we kind of go through it firsthand.
Heather:
Well, I really appreciate those responses from both of you. That’s great insight for people who I think haven’t been part of this industry.
Joey:
Well that is it for us. So thank you so much, Gerard Sr. and Gerard Jr. from Vital ICE. We really appreciate your time. And thanks for joining us this week on Funeral Innovations: Trends, Tips, and Tech. We’ll be posting this video on our blog, on our YouTube channels and on our Facebook feeds. So definitely check those out and we’ll be back with another show soon, so check back in with us next. And if you have any topics you’d like to see discussed or someone like you’d like to hear from an interview, add that in the comments down below if you’re watching this recorded. And be sure to check out our website at funeralinnovations.com.
Gerard Sr.
Thanks for having us.
