McDougald strengthens its brand with pro-level preneed

Funeral service has always been about relationships.

That’s one of the reasons the team at McDougald Funeral Home embraced preneed as a core part of its strategy. They’ve seen firsthand how it helps families and strengthens the funeral home’s role in the community.

I've never had anybody say that planning a funeral ahead of time was a bad idea. Doug McDougald McDougald Funeral Home

The challenge was how to consistently prearrange more families and turn preneed into a lasting competitive advantage.

Missing Support Before Precoa

McDougald has been serving the families of Anderson, South Carolina for three generations.

Their name has become synonymous with the highest quality experiences, and caring for families is always their top priority.

But like many leading funeral homes, this level of quality takes time and attention to craft. And with so much focus on the core business of serving families, it can be difficult to maintain a proactive preneed program.

For preneed to truly thrive, McDougald needed the right system of support.

Not just performance marketing to generate more leads, but support at every stage of the customer journey so those leads convert to prearranged families.

Precoa gives us a competitive advantage. Doug McDougald McDougald Funeral Home

“The difference with Precoa is they keep us on track,” Doug says. “Through the lead programs we’re running to the Funeral Planning Center, it’s all a competitive advantage.”

A Consistent Message in the Community

The biggest advantage of being proactive with preneed is reaching the right families at the right times.

Families decide to respond to preneed marketing for a variety of reasons, and consistency is key. With Precoa, McDougald sees the direct impact of generating steady preneed awareness and interest.

“We want families to think McDougald when they think about funeral planning,” Doug says. “It might not be today—it could be two years from now—but the consistent message and repeated knowledge that the McDougalds are your funeral resource in Anderson is what we strive for.”

Doing this involves a deep understanding of the Anderson market, as well as a multichannel approach to lead generation.

Precoa invests in everything from data-driven direct mail to digital marketing and community education events, all to keep McDougald top of mind when families are ready to say they’re interested in learning more about preplanning.

A System That Creates Momentum

One of the first signs that Precoa was working? There were no longer gaps in the appointment calendar.

Before Precoa, preneed activity at McDougald could fluctuate, with busy periods followed by long stretches of inactivity.

With Precoa and the follow-up support of the Funeral Planning Center, appointments started rolling in.

As soon as Precoa started generating leads, our calendars became consistent. Doug McDougald McDougald Funeral Home

“We went from multi-day gaps to having three or four appointments a day.”

That dependable rhythm helps the team focus on connecting with families rather than chasing down leads.

Not only that, but Precoa’s technology and reporting tools add layers of useful customer insights and performance data.

For McDougald, that level of visibility gives them a direct window into the number of leads being generated, appointments being set, and families prearranging with their funeral home.

Bringing New Ideas to the Table

There’s a long history in the funeral profession of firms learning from one another and sharing best practices.

At the same time, operating in your own local market can make it challenging to be at the forefront of the latest trends or new approaches from across the country.

Precoa is always on the cutting edge. The ideas they bring us improve our company. Doug McDougald McDougald Funeral Home

“Precoa is always on the cutting edge,” Doug says. “Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees in Anderson, but Precoa will come to us with ideas they’ve seen other funeral homes have, and they’re bringing new, innovative ideas to market.”

For a firm rooted in its community, having this outside perspective is valuable. It’s also a reflection of Precoa’s commitment. Far more than just a marketing vendor, Precoa has built a reputation for developing authentic, lasting partnerships.

“Precoa is an important resource,” Doug says. “They’re our eyes in the field, and the ideas they bring us improve our company.”

Looking Ahead

Today, McDougald sees preneed as an essential engine of the firm’s future.

Precoa has helped them continue to grow their brand while creating even deeper connections with the families in their community.

For the McDougald team, this reflects what preneed is really about: building relationships today that will allow them to serve families tomorrow—and for many years to come.

We've been happy with Precoa since day one. We look forward to making our partnership even bigger and better. Doug McDougald McDougald Funeral Home

“We’ve been happy with Precoa since day one,” Doug says. “It’s been a great partnership, and we look forward to making it even bigger and better.”