Legacy Cards is a product that can help with your grief when you choose cremation It allows you to Carry ashes of
legacy cards
your loved one conveniently in your purse or wallet.
Here is Your Funeral Guy’s Interview, with the Founder Ken Meyer.
Legacy-Cards Interview
YOUR FUNERALGUY:How did you get the Idea of Legacy-Cards Cremation Memorial?
KEN MEYER: My dad had passed away on 12/31/1996 and his ashes were passed around the family but never found it’s way to me. I had the simple paper memorial card with Jesus on the front and the 23rd Pslam on the back. But over time, it withered. Several year later at his sister’s wake (my aunt Doris) , I met some family out in the foyer. We discussed various topics but I noticed the glass curio cabinet displayed a large urn, a keepsake, and piece of jewerly and I commented that didn’t seem many options for cremation memorial. I suggested, “they” take some ashes and place them in the paper memorial card similar to what I had for my Dad and Aunt Doris. . It was quickly dismissed among family members, but the thought lingered. Months later while completing my Marketing course, I needed to develop a marketing plan for a car wash or a mini market. I told the professor I had a silly idea of my own and he said it could be ficticious. Weeks later I received my A+ but he called me to tell me I had a real product that I needed to research and develop. This was circa 2005.
YOUR FUNERALGUY:How much research did you do before further embarking on it’s development ?
Tons ! The internet was a huge help in identifying typical products. I put in dozens of hours on the US Patent website reading Patents & tinkering with identifying words to broaden my search criteria. Once I new nothing was similar, I hired a mechanical engineer and developed the first of several designs and had them prototyped. Once in hand, I requested 15 minutes of time from local funeral director monthly meetings to gauge interest and feasibility of design. I used their suggestion’s & tweaked my designs to secure the product to it’s final design. I also developed an online survey with 72% positive feedback. Asked 10 of dozens of friends, colleagues, family, and sought out marketing & advertising professionals for tips and potential pitfalls to avoid. What I now totally enjoy is randomly showing my Legacy-Card to people, and allowing them to hold my Dad’s Legacy card and comment. After they say it’s nice because their kind and don’t want to hurt my feelings, I tell them my Dad’s ashes on inside the card. Watching their facial features is priceless and THEN I get their full attention. The conversation becomes more involved and they repeatedly tell me this is great. That alone, makes me feel good.
YOUR FUNERAL GUY:Have you attended any Local, Regional or National functions displaying Legacy-cards ?
KEN MEYER:Yes, I attended the Philadelphia NFDA convention 3 years ago to see what type of Cremation products were available and any competition that may have been similar. I also rented a booth at the 2008 NY State Funeral Directors Association at Lake George N.Y where it was 1st unveiled and introduced to the public. . I handed out close to 200 samples and had everyones interest. Unfortunately, the packing was still in design stage during the convention. I did however earn my first few sales come from the convention.
YOUR FUNERAL GUY: What Legacy-Cards features are your favorite and how do they differ from other in market product that serve other clients.
KEN MEYER -Good question. Actually there are several great feature’s I could talk about. One of the best is mobility. To think you can carry a reminder of you loved one with you 24 hours a day, to open your wallet and purse and to be reminded each day of the Love & Happiness you once shared. In the mobile society we all live in today, a Legacy-cards can be sent via regular mail anywhere in the world. This is key as many family and friends are spread apart in different regions and due to perhaps economic restraints, unable to make the Wake or service. Legacy- Cards can be handed out to many friends and family and not limited to keepsake urns. The only limitation is the amount of ashes of the deceased. It’s a convenience memorials, it fits snugly in the credit card slot of a man’s wallet or a women’s purse. It can be displayed on mantel, a dresser or amour for those who may feel uncomfortable holding someone’s ashes that close.
Another use for my product is a line we call “ My Pet At Peace”. Identical in design but with varying designs targeted to serve the Pet market. We’ve had pet owners have the ashes of their beloved pet placed as well as whisker’s while a few decided not to have anything other than the picture as a memorial. The product’s no matter how their used have a deep emotional meaning to these people.
YOUR FUNERAL GUY: What is the card made from?
Ken Meyer: A Legacy Card is made from the durable plastic called Poly-carbonate. This type of molecular plastic is used in the design of Bullet Proof vests. It’s strong , durable, tough but light in weigh. The label’s themselves are made from similar plastic, durable, will not fade, ship, crack over time, come in a satin finish so it cannot scratch. The base card comes standard in White and Black but can be customize to any hue one can think of.
YOUR FUNERAL GUY: What Liability are there to the funeral director and homes in distributing Legacy-Cards.
Ken Meyer :Absolutely NONE
As mentioned above, the card is extremely durable and it flexible enough to withstand any bending or twisting over time. The Base Card has a rim in which the labels fit tighly into and becomes flush with the rim once in place. The label has a very aggresive adhesive that over time cannot be removed. No rain, snow, sleet or an accidental dip in the washer will penetrate the label or contents of the Legacy-Cards Liability of the product is minimize 100%. If someone attempted to pull or peal the label away from the base card, it would prove a clear case of tampering and the Funeral director or home can not be held liable.
YOUR FUNERALGUYHow long does it take to assemble a Legacy-Card once out of it’s packaging.
KEN-MEYER An expert, – 1 minute, a novice – 2 minutes. A novice automatically becomes an expert after their first assembly, it’s that easy. We all heard the coined phrase “time is Money” If you put 4 cards together in 5 minutes, and based on a retail cost of $24.99 per Legacy-Card, that’s a $100.00 sale , not bad for 5 minutes work.
YOUR FUNERALGUY:How Long have you been producing this product?
KEN MEYER-Since 2007, the product is 100% American made and manufactured in Rochester, New York and the label designed and created in Orleans County, NY. Rochester N.Y. is the Print Capitol of the world, with XEROX, Kodak, and all major print businesses represented. The best of the best are located in that region. I wanted nothing less.
YOUR FUNERAL GUY:What has been the response to this innovation?
KEN MEYER:Over the last 3 years the people and funeral homes have loved the product. Some funeral homes are more progressive than other, but after a while, they laggards are witnessing the added value it brings to their overall business ROI. . It’s in my opinion that the largest group of people now are the baby boomer’s, with the leading edge of the Boomer’s coming of age and retiring, there’s 15 more years of boomer’s right behind them looking for and wanting something different as a meaningful memorial. The product today is in it’s infancy and basically Legacy-cards is a grass roots effort and sales come by words of mouth. What we enjoy is the excitement & joy it brings to those who love the product. We all know that if we purchase something we like, we typically tell several people, then they tell several people and from there it exponentially takes on it’s own growth.
YOUR FUNERAL GUY Are there Funeral Corporations that handle your product?
Yes, Right now, Matthews Cremation has shown an interest in Legacy-Cards for their annual catalog of products.
Many Progressive local and regional funeral homes do carry our product but we’re not at a national level just yet.
At this time YOUR FUNERAL GUY is not affiliated with legacy- cards.
Tags: cremation, funeral, funeral director, funeral home, funeral industry, funeral news, Ken Meyer, memorials, urns
