VISIBILITY
WITHOUT RISK
REPUTATION AND RESPONSIBLE COMMUNICATION
IN THE FUNERAL SECTOR
By Nuria Capdevila, Founder & CEO CIRCLE Corporation, Spain
s it really possible to achieve visibility
without risk? Perhaps not entirely –
but it is possible to manage exposure
with strategy, empathy, and ethical
consistency.
We live in an era of hyperexposure, where
reputation is built with effort and can be lost in
seconds. It is no longer enough to offer a good
service; organisations must build emotional
connections, maintain stakeholder trust, and be
prepared to respond with clarity, humility, and
coherence when needed.
In the funeral sector and related fields, this demand
is even more critical. The handling of death is
not an administrative task – it is a deeply human,
intimate, and symbolic experience that shapes
a family’s memory for generations. Reputation
here is not just a competitive advantage: it is
a condition for survival, influencing business
profitability (as families choose based on trust),
institutional prestige, and team commitment – as
professionals must feel proud of the service they
provide.
In this context, reputation is not protected by
internal policies alone, but through coherent
storytelling, open dialogue, and timely response.
Crises do not begin with the incident itself, but
with how it is addressed. Organisations that aim
to sustain public trust must embed perception
management, ethical consistency, and strategic
communication into their dna. Values must be
lived – not just declared.
Understanding the digital ecosystem:
key definitions
Before delving into reputation strategies, it is
essential to distinguish the key figures representing
the funeral sector in the digital environment –
especially within a sector that has traditionally
been conservative.
A funeral influencer is someone with a significant
social media following, recognised as an expert with
an independent voice and editorial autonomy. This
individual might be a thanatologist, psychologist,
social worker, or funeral director with a strong
digital presence, often collaborating with various
organisations.
In contrast, a brand advocate actively promotes
a brand out of genuine connection. They may
be an employee, client, strategic partner, or
recommending a professional. Unlike the
influencer, the brand advocate is closely aligned
with the values of a specific brand.
The risks of unmanaged visibility
Without proper training and strategy, a digital
presence can seriously damage the funeral
sector’s reputation. Trivial or sensationalist
content undermines perceptions of dignity, while
misinformation erodes public trust. A single lapse
in judgement can ignite a reputational crisis that
crosses cultural and national boundaries.
Strategic tools
for reputation management
To effectively manage reputation in digital
environments, funeral homes can draw on
a materiality matrix to identify which issues
matter most to their stakeholders. This tool helps
prioritise key concerns and mitigate risks to the
sector’s image.
Some of the most relevant topics include:
respectful approaches to grief, transparency,
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No. 111 – AUTUMN 2025 | THANOS MAGAZINE
SUSTAINABILITY