Marketing Death: Notes on Trust, Taboo & Transformation
What marketing looks like when the subject is sacred & spiritual.
There are few briefs as delicate—and as important—as helping people talk about and navigate death. When I started working with Resting Reef, a London memorial startup designing artificial reefs to honour loved ones while restoring marine ecosystems, I didn’t realise just how much would surface—emotionally, creatively, spiritually.
In a category like death care, strategy takes on a different tempo. Approaches soften. Language matters more. Trust becomes the currency. This wasn’t a project where you push out a product and force people to buy. This was about gaining trust and permission—to feel, to grieve, to rethink. Instead of selling, it was about inviting people to reconsider perceptions around death, the afterlife, and our marine world.
☾ ON MARKETING DEATH
Death is an uncomfortable topic. Even in our most progressive wellness circles, it’s often wrapped in euphemism or avoidance. But in order to serve both Resting Reef’s mission and their potential clients, we had to meet that discomfort head-on.
Our first approach was around creating emotional resonance online. We accomplished this by creating a series of compelling content aimed at appealing to six audience profiles.
But it wasn’t just about writing marketing copy; we were midwifing language around a new way to mourn.
While this effort attracted a global audience, it was by incorporating in-person gatherings that led to tangible, heartfelt impact. Our campaign involved hosting intimate workshops and an immersive field trip to our reef site in North Bali. We partnered with a co-living residence to host a group of digital nomads, ocean lovers and business owners for a meditative experience on our reef site. The itinerary included a blessing ritual, roundtable lunch, meditation ceremony, and snorkeling to see the reefs.
We talked about endings, rituals, legacies, grief, and renewal. We asked what felt right and what felt wrong. That day trip did more for the brand, hotel partners, and guests than any piece of digital content could.
“Resting Reef is not a tourist attraction—it is real. Traditions and rituals are shared, patiently explained, and lived with genuine joy. We were given insight into a world that usually remains hidden. This is not just about Bali, but also about ourselves—our relationship with nature, life, and the way we say goodbye.”
☾ ON DESIGNING FOR TRUST
Death is still a taboo subject. In this space, clarity is kindness, but so is tone.
It wasn’t enough for the copy to be clear and elegant—it had to be emotionally attuned. It had to hold compassion, grief, legacy, and transformation all in the same breath. We needed messaging and content that would instill trust, not by simply explaining what the service was, but why it mattered.
On the other hand, with the memorial sites in Bali, that meant we also needed to earn the trust of the local Balinese community who allowed our reefs to grow in the fishing villages of Tulamben and Tianyar.
With my Indonesian background and fluency in Bahasa, I was able to provide Resting Reef’s founders with a unique lens into the cultural and spiritual layers of the project. It offered not only access, but understanding—insight into local customs, rhythms, and sensitivities that shaped how we approached both storytelling and business strategy. It also helped us to build bridges with potential local partners and collaborators.
OUR WORK INCLUDED:
— Reframing messaging pillars based on customer profiles
— Introducing new hospitality partnerships
— Sourcing a beautiful venue for a photoshoot and meditation ceremony
— Navigating the language and cultural sensitivities
☾ ON SACRED STRATEGY
The best strategy isn’t just loud—it’s deeply listened for. With brands like Resting Reef, the task isn’t to compete for attention. It’s to create a calm enough presence so the right people can recognize something meaningful is here.
This work reminded me that the most powerful marketing doesn’t always shout—some show strength through softness and powerful positioning through gentle words.
When the work is done with care, it invites people to stay, reflect, and perhaps even transform their perception of death and the afterlife.
When we honour the sensitive, we unlock a deeper kind of resonance—one rooted in trust, integrity, and meaning. If you’re building something quietly powerful, we’d love to help you make it seen, heard, and felt. Let’s chat.
If you find these stories interesting, I’m starting a newsletter called Field Notes and it’s about the Business of Becoming. I hope to see you there.