Case Study: Lakewood

A place for the living.

Breathing relevance and life into a revered institution.
The Issue

Lakewood Cemetery has been a venerable presence in the Twin Cities since 1871, with strong name awareness. Yet research revealed that people perceived Lakewood as a pricey private cemetery that catered to the wealthy, did traditional burials only and was “full.” In addition, with cremation gaining popularity, the very idea of a cemetery was losing relevance with younger generations.

The Insight

Lakewood is a stunningly beautiful place — yet most people are afraid to enter the gates, and perceive cemeteries as dead and depressing.  To attract new audiences, Lakewood needed to “open themselves up” with a more accessible brand and message — along with new programming that aligned with emerging trends relating to death and remembering.

The Solution

Beginning with a new brand identity, we helped Lakewood completely overhaul all communications materials, incorporating images that reflected actual people visiting and having meaningful multigenerational experiences in a variety of settings. We implemented a robust PR and media plan that drove visibility and engagement with key audiences.

Lakewood Logo

“The new brand has given us a strong platform for taking a thought leadership role in national conversations, and has engaged audiences locally as well.”

John Brooks
Chair, Board of Trustees
Lakewood

Lakewood Ad 2
Lakewood Ad 1
Lakewood Ad 3
Lakewood Logo On Blue
Lakewood Logo Seasons
Bring the people in.

Spyglass developed a variety of newsworthy events that positioned Lakewood as a convener and thought leader and enabled them to attract publicity and visitors beyond those interested in the history of Lakewood.

Lakewood Event Series
Lakewood Mandals
Lakewood Lantern Lighting
Lakewood Living Memory Tree
Lakewood Memorial Day
Lakewood Music In The Chapel
Lakewood Earth Day
Results

After the relaunch, Brand Analytics have been conducted regularly and key indicators like unaided awareness and preference have continued to grow. This coupled with an increased social media following and high event attendance show the true effectiveness of the brand and advertising campaigns.

Not only do we value Lakewood as a client, but we take their mission to heart — you will see a Spyglass team member at almost any event.

Deliverables
  • Logo
  • Identity & Brand Guidelines
  • Print and Digital Advertising
  • New Photography Toolkit
  • Event Planning and Marketing
  • Impact Research
  • Collateral System
  • Strategic Positioning
  • Brand Story and Narrative
  • Key Messages