As the festive season rolls round again and a brand-new year is within reach, we reflect on a remarkable 2023 here at JC Atkinson. A year packed full of product launches, digital innovation, the busiest first quarter we can remember, and the joy of meeting up with customers at the Coleman Milne trade events that took place in Southampton, Sheffield, and many places in between.
Barely a month has gone by without another innovative product joining our catalogue. In the post funeral product arena, we’ve added breakthrough products to our Forever Urns range in the form of the Obelós, a solid beech tapered urn with a contrasting face that resolves itself as a subtle star design on the top of the lid, and the Football Urn a playful, ceramic urn available in black and white or red and white, with creases and stitching to make it look strikingly like a real football. Made of premium stoneware and available in three sizes, we’ve also launched the Pebble Urn a unique, hand-poured, and meticulously finished urn thoughtfully designed from nature to blend seamlessly into any environment and suitable for home display, burial, garden memorial or as a keepsake.
Using the latest in print technology, we’ve created never seen before products such as a fully customisable traditional oak coffin and more recently a new limed oak coffin. Bridging the gap between contemporary and bespoke, this game-changing technology enables families, for the first time, to print any design directly onto and around the coffin.
We also had a makeover with a brand refresh that was rolled out across all our literature and online earlier this year to our new-look website showcasing, for the first time our entire catalogue with additional features such as the ability to order products on improved customer-specific portals and an iPad version to share with customers discreetly. We also launched a brand-new website www.jcatkinson.co.uk/ the entry destination for funeral directors looking to access the company’s full product directories, latest marketing campaigns, environmental policies, accreditations, and initiatives as well as the history of JC Atkinson, now in its 87th year.
But it was perhaps the response to our Training Academy that took us most by surprise, with the launch video alone receiving over one thousand views in the first 48 hours. Based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by funeral directors, the academy aspires to create a community of funeral industry professionals who are equipped with the latest knowledge, best practices, and a thorough grasp of the coffin choices available.
