A visual representation of the cemetery's deep roots and strength in the Kingston community, reflecting its 1850s heritage as a natural garden cemetery.
The Project
Marketing a cemetery and funeral service requires a careful balance. The tone needs to be respectful and informative rather than aggressive or purely sales driven. During my summer internship at Cataraqui Cemetery, I was tasked with modernizing their digital presence while continuing to reach their core demographic through traditional local print channels, such as the Seniors Association's Vista Magazine, Kingston's Finest, as well as Profile Kingston.
My goal was to build a consistent and engaging content strategy that educated the Kingston community about the cemetery's historical significance, natural beauty, while reminding viewers of our disposition services with-out feeling intrusive. All of the marketing material created was based on my own photographs and design capabilities, with the exception of the core brand's logo.
The Impact
Treating the cemetery's social feeds as a community and historical resource rather than just a business page resulted in a massive shift in audience response. By the end of my four month term, combining this organic content strategy with highly targeted and boosted Meta ads yielded incredible results:
500%+ Increase in Overall Engagement: We took an account with minimal interaction and built an active, commenting community in 90 days. This far surpassed the standard 0.05% to 1.3% average engagement rate for local brand pages.
Screenshot of the Meta analytics, demonstrating a +615.8% increase in engagement over the previous 90 days.
Screenshot of the Meta analytics, demonstrating a +424% increase in viewership over the previous 90 days.
Marketing Challenge: Historical Context
Cataraqui Cemetery is not a standard business. Understanding its rich history was the key to unlocking our marketing success.
A National Historic Site: Founded in 1850, which predates Canadian Confederation, the cemetery as a whole was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2011. The gravesite of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, is located on the grounds and was designated as its own National Historic Site in 1938. This transformed my task from simply promoting a local business' services, to driving engagement for a recognized piece of national heritage.
Rich Local Lore: The grounds feature intricate Gothic Revival architecture and are the resting place of many notable figures, such as Captain James Sutherland, the man who established the Memorial Cup for junior hockey, and many politicians.
Showcasing the final resting place of Canada's first Prime Minister. This specific gravesite was designated as its own National Historic Site in 1938, making it a key pillar in our heritage tourism strategy.
A look at the stunning Gothic Revival architecture on the grounds. Promoting these historical structures helped drive organic interest from local history and architecture enthusiasts.
The Garden Cemetery Movement: Cataraqui is considered one of Canada’s best surviving examples of a 19th century "rural" or "garden cemetery." Before modern public parks were common, these sprawling 85 acres were designed as beautiful green spaces where the public could walk, picnic, and appreciate nature.
The Garden Cemetery Movement in action. These 85 acres of rolling hills and curvilinear roads were originally designed to be a peaceful natural parkland for the public to appreciate.
A Not For Profit Operation: The cemetery is owned and operated as a not for profit entity. All revenue goes directly back into the preservation, care, and upkeep of the property.
A quiet place for reflection. Images like this reinforce the brand's positioning as a peaceful green space for the entire Kingston community.
The Strategy: Education & Local Heritage
To drive engagement, I stepped away from standard corporate posts and leaned heavily into what makes Cataraqui Cemetery a community landmark. I conducted market research to understand what locals actually care about, which led to a complete content pivot.
I designed a series of "Did You Know?" (DYK) educational graphics highlighting local wildlife, historical monuments, and architectural details like the flame tipped urns. I also promoted virtual and historical tours giving people a reason to connect with the grounds as a place of heritage and natural exploration.
Honouring our veterans. Highlighting the beautifully maintained Military Plot serves to educate the public on the cemetery's role in preserving local and national military history.
An educational social media graphic highlighting unique historical contributions and community legacy, designed to drive organic engagement by sharing lesser known local facts.
Highlighting the serene natural landscape. This graphic connects the cemetery's historical identity as a peaceful green space with modern community engagement goals.
A respectful and clean Meta ad designed to clearly communicate personalized disposition and memorial options to the local market without feeling intrusive.
Paid Ads & Print Strategy
On the advertising side, I built clean and direct graphics for Meta and local print magazines to clearly communicate their core services and preplanning options.
A full-page print advertisement designed for Kingston's Finest magazine, establishing a clean visual hierarchy for core disposition and preplanning services.
A half-page print layout created for Vista magazine, tailored directly to reach the Seniors Association demographic with clear and respectful messaging.
Brochures & Business Cards
Beyond digital ads and magazine spreads, I also designed essential print collateral to support the cemetery's day-to-day operations and physical consultations. I created comprehensive informational brochures detailing their disposition and pre-planning services, alongside professional business cards for the on-site staff. These physical touchpoints were designed to maintain the dignified, cohesive visual identity we established online, ensuring that families received clear, beautifully formatted information during in-person meetings.
Original Brand Photography
Rather than relying on generic stock imagery, which is very common in this industry, I went out into the field to capture authentic visual assets for the cemetery's social channels. From the Gothic Revival architecture to the tranquil garden landscapes, shooting these original photos allowed me to build a genuine, cohesive brand narrative across all of our digital and print campaigns.
The historic main gates of the cemetery. I captured this to serve as foundational brand imagery across our digital platforms, establishing a dignified and welcoming first impression for the community.
Showcasing the natural beauty where the historic Rideau Trail intersects the cemetery grounds. I used this to drive community-focused engagement, highlighting the location as both a memorial site and a serene natural landmark.
A moment of serenity at Cataraqui Cemetery, featuring a Monarch butterfly in the foreground with the grounds and fountain in soft focus. This composition balances the natural vitality of the space with its tranquil, reflective atmosphere, showcasing the cemetery's role as both a heritage site and a peaceful community retreat.
Macro photography captured at Cataraqui Cemetery, highlighting the vibrant biodiversity thriving within the grounds. This shot emphasizes the cemetery’s commitment to maintaining a living, breathing ecosystem that supports local pollinators amidst the historic landscape.
Highlighting the tranquil garden landscapes and serene water features. These calming, environmental shots were essential for our organic social media strategy to convey a peaceful atmosphere.
A wide view showcasing the sprawling, park-like atmosphere of the grounds. I captured this landscape to use as foundational imagery for website headers and print spreads, instantly establishing a serene and welcoming brand presence.
A detail shot of the unique stonework and historical monuments found on the grounds. Images like this were used to anchor our educational "Did You Know?" posts and virtual tours, showcasing the rich local history.
A close-up detailing the intricate stonework of a prominent cross monument. High-contrast architectural shots like this were featured in our print campaigns and educational posts to emphasize the rich heritage and craftsmanship preserved on site.
A blue jay spotted resting near the historic military plots. This image struck a perfect balance between natural beauty and quiet reverence, making it an ideal visual for our respectful memorial and veteran-focused content.
Capturing the local wildlife, like these wild turkeys roaming the grounds, helped soften our social media feed. These candid nature shots consistently drove high organic engagement by framing the cemetery as a peaceful, living green space for the community.
The Payoff
I left the internship having learned how to tailor a brand's voice to a highly sensitive industry. I proved that with the right market research and historical context, you can successfully bridge the gap between digital marketing and traditional print advertising, all while generating community goodwill and strong, measurable growth.
