New Legacy.com intake portal helps consumers place 3,000+ newspaper obituaries in first three months

Sep 1, 2022

Legacy’s multimillion-dollar initiative reflects the company’s commitment to supporting newspapers by increasing obituary placement

CHICAGO — Legacy.com has launched a new online portal that, for the first time, allows consumers to place a newspaper obituary from anywhere, anytime, in as many newspapers as they wish.

Legacy’s new digital portal is expanding the obituary channel for newspapers, with thousands of incremental placements into newspapers in its initial trial period.

Designed to meet the on-demand expectations of today’s digital consumer, the new experience provides purchasers with a seamless, easy-to-navigate interface that directly places notices in any of more than 2,600 newspapers across the United States. The technology is powered by the extensive placement network of Legacy subsidiary Memoriams.

In the portal’s first 90 days online, Legacy has helped consumers place thousands of obituaries across more than 650 newspapers. A full-scale consumer awareness campaign and ongoing platform enhancements are forthcoming in 2022 to increase obituary placement in newspapers.

“Every day, people around the world visit Legacy.com to remember someone they’ve lost,” Legacy’s founder and CEO Stopher Bartol said. “It took decades of partnership with local newspapers to build that strength. Now, every newspaper obit desk in America will benefit from exposure to Legacy’s 40 million monthly readers. We’re honored to build this nationwide network that will reconnect readers to newspaper obituaries and expand the number of places they go to find hometown news.”

Legacy is investing millions in this platform as a means to stimulate newspapers and community engagement through digital obituaries.

“Obituaries are the heart of local news,” Bartol said. “Supporting our community news partners and their obituary business is paramount to Legacy. We’re investing millions to meet that mission and this moment.”

Key to Legacy’s power to expand newspaper obituary business is the new portal’s ability to facilitate multi-paper placement. Purchasers can instantly replicate obituary information from one newspaper to another, within a single transaction. Newspapers are also already benefiting from Legacy’s providing point-of-purchase exposure to long-distance families, who are also taking the opportunity to place obituaries outside of the deceased’s hometown.

With 24/7 customer support coming soon for any newspaper in the vast Legacy network, this is a turnkey solution for newspapers to grow their obituary footprint and generate incremental content.

Customers in need of personal assistance with obituary placement can get quick help seven days a week from a dedicated team of Legacy and Memoriams support agents. Extending this level of service – free of charge to newspapers – furthers Legacy’s goal to increase newspaper obituary volume by smoothing the process between a purchaser and publication.

“Families and funeral homes need access to newspaper obituary placement, seven days a week. They want an easy process and personal support if necessary. That’s a tall order,” Memoriams CEO Mike Heene said. “Our team is proud to provide that level of service, while increasing the volume and size of obituaries for our news partners.”

Inclusion in the obituary portal service is free for any U.S. newspaper. To learn more or join the network, contact sales@legacy.com.

Legacy’s media technology brands — iPublish Media Solutions, Memoriams, and Legacy.com — drive millions in self-service advertising and digital revenue for local news companies while building audience engagement. Our obituary content systems and order intake platforms are trusted by 8 out of every 10 publishers to serve thousands of daily clients and reach millions of consumers every month. Visit sales.legacy.com to learn about new revenue-generating opportunities in your community.