Reaching More Families, Building Community Connection

Location: Greenville, SC
Partner: Cremation Society of South Carolina–Westville Funerals
Broadcast Partner: WHNS Fox Carolina

The Cremation Society of South Carolina–Westville Funerals is one of the most active funeral providers in the Southeast. Their model prioritizes affordability, efficiency, healing and meaningful services but with fewer in-person services, it can be harder to create lasting, emotional moments for families.

At the same time, traditional obituary placements were becoming less effective. With rising costs and declining newspaper readership, many families found that loved ones simply weren’t hearing about the loss of a loved one in time to respond. These paid announcements no longer felt like a meaningful way to honor someone or a smart way to support brand visibility by itself.

“When we introduced Chptr, we saw it as a chance to evolve how we honor people,” said Ian Nelms, CEO. “We wanted to give families something they’d be proud to share and make sure those stories actually reached people in our community.”

A Modern Memorial, Shared with the Entire Community

Chptr creates broadcast-ready video tributes from a family’s submitted photos and memories. Each tribute airs on trusted local television stations, is shared online, and is archived digitally for generations to come.

At Cremation Society of South Carolina–Westville Funerals, every tribute is broadcast on WHNS Fox Carolina and featured on the funeral home’s website and social media channels. The Chptr team manages all production and broadcast logistics so staff can remain focused on care.

“Families are impressed and have left messages thanking us for placing these announcements on TV,” Ian shared. “This digital product has turned what used to be a cash advance item into something that actually grows the business.”

What They’ve Seen

Since implementing broadcast memorials through Chptr, the team has seen sustained results:

• 7% increase in at-need call volume year over year
• 8x spike in website traffic during televised memorial airings
• $47 average e-commerce revenue per tribute
• More than 60 tributes purchased, produced and broadcast each month
• Notable rise in membership, pre-need inquiries and broader brand recognition across the region

This is what families see on air, and why they’re calling, sharing, and responding in record numbers.

These results reflect a deeper truth: families want to feel connected, and the community wants to show up. Chptr helps make that possible.

“We’ve seen exponential growth in web traffic and affiliated marketing revenue,” Ian added. “The broadcast presence has expanded our market area. It’s helped us separate from competitors and strengthened our metro brand.”

Why It Works for Today’s Funeral Professionals

• Provides emotional value for families, especially when services are minimal or remote
  
  
• Increases visibility and trust by sharing tributes with the full community
  
  
• Generates measurable growth in calls, clicks, and awareness
  
  
• Fits into existing workflows, with full support from the Chptr team
  
  

Supporting Local Leaders in Death Care

Chptr is proud to support forward-thinking funeral homes like the Cremation Society of South Carolina–Westville Funerals with tools that honor tradition while expanding reach. Each tribute is produced with care, broadcast with dignity, and designed to help funeral professionals deepen their role in the communities they serve.

We partner directly with trusted local TV stations, providing funeral homes with a service that is both emotionally meaningful and operationally supported.