Rethinking funerals: Poppy Mardall’s fresh approach to saying goodbye

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Funerals are one of life’s most significant moments, yet the industry around them often feels rigid, impersonal, and full of traditions that don’t always make sense. We’re told there’s a ‘right way’ to do things - but who decided that? And more importantly, do we really have to follow it?

Poppy Mardall, founder of Poppy’s Funerals, believes it’s time to challenge those expectations. Her team champions funerals that focus on what people actually want rather than outdated conventions.

The norm with funerals is not normal. It might be the norm, but that doesn’t make it normal.

Poppy joined us for an episode of The Persuasion Game to talk about breaking the mould in an industry where people often feel they have no choice. From stripping back unnecessary formality to helping families create meaningful, personal goodbyes, she shared how brands can challenge the status quo and why doing so really matters.

Bringing humanity back to funerals

“Gold package, silver package, bronze package. Do you want one limousine or two or three?”

When Poppy started her business, she was shocked by how transactional funerals had become. Grieving families were being offered rigid packages, sales pitches, and a process that felt completely disconnected from what they actually needed: space, support, and the chance to say goodbye in a way that felt right for them.

At Poppy’s, everything starts with listening. “We don’t try and squeeze you into a sausage machine of our making. You know, we are trying to make you feel safe and held and heard, and then we will go about organising the experience that you need and want.”

Challenging the taboo around death

One of the biggest barriers to change? We don’t talk about death. At all.

“It is weird that we don’t talk about death in a world where it’s one of the only two experiences apart from birth that unites us.”

Poppy’s is on a mission to change that. Through ‘My Funeral Wishes’ consultations and Death Cafés, they’re helping people have open, honest conversations - long before they need to. Because thinking about it now means fewer regrets later. Poppy reflects on the words of Death Café founder John Underwood: “If you can create opportunities for people to think and reflect on death, you can help them make the most of their finite lives.”

Creating a new kind of funeral service

Beyond the philosophy, Poppy is changing the practical side of funerals too. Her spaces are warm, welcoming, and completely free from the old-school, sales-heavy atmosphere most people expect. And that shift alone is powerful, with people often saying to Poppy, “Oh my goodness, you are kind, normal people, and I wasn’t expecting that.”

Takeaways from this episode:

• Funerals should be personal. There is no ‘right’ way to say goodbye - only what feels meaningful to you.
• Talking about death helps. Even one conversation can make you feel more in control when the time comes.
• The best businesses challenge expectations. Poppy’s success proves that even the most traditional industries can be reimagined.

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