Formal Report Proposal

To:                       Dr. Paterson

From:                  Meera Patel

Date:                   June 19, 2020

Subject:              Proposal for “Increasing London Drugs consumer engagement in non-profit community-focused initiatives”

Introduction

London Drugs is a retailer in Western Canada that specializes in everyday consumer products and services. They began as a drugstore in 1945 and since have expanded the business to now offer products and services in the following categories: health and beauty, food, houseware, technology, photography, optometry, insurance, seasonal products, and postal services. London Drugs strives to give back to their local communities and Canadians by using their strengths and exposure to the advantage of local non-profit organizations. One method is by giving non-profit organizations a platform at London Drugs storefronts in the form of an add-on product (or monetary donation) whose full proceeds are transferred back to the partnered organization. This method exposes consumers to organizations they may not have been aware of before, and organization to many more people than would have been feasible otherwise.

Statement of Problem

Although London Drugs has this initiative, not many shoppers are aware as they go through their transactions due to the lack of communication from customer service representatives. There is room to improve the impact these organizations can have with the support of employees at the point of sale.

Proposed Solution

I suggest 3 methods to improve the conversion of these interactions. ‘Conversion’ in this context refers to the percentage of customers that actually contribute to such initiatives at the point of sale relative to those who see it.

These solutions include:

• Service specialist and cashiers offer the add-on with each transaction
• Service specialist briefly highlight the organization mission, in turn raising awareness
• More visibility of product and signage towards customers

Scope

To evaluate the impact

• What are the impacts of the current placement?
• How does verbal exposure influence the consumer’s decision to support, relative to no verbal exposure?
• Evaluate the customer’s response as positive or negative, feedback based on observation by workers.

Methods

I will conduct the research via communication with my coworkers. The sample will be a London Drugs location in Burnaby over the course of 2 weeks in July. My coworkers will monitor the engagement with these fundraisers via a tracking sheet during their shift, before and after implementing these changes to see how consumer engagement has changed in regard to the specific campaign at that time. The calculation of customers that contribute to the campaign divided by the customers that go through the point of sale will determine the conversion rate for each week.

My Qualifications

A staff member of 5 years I am familiar with London Drugs procedures, policies, and practices in regard to business to consumer interactions and can use this in the development of the research methods to be in line with company policies. As an economics and business student, I have insight into marketing tactics that improve engagement. Additionally, as a consumer myself, I have the experience to help direct my research from both perspectives, the business, and the consumer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope to evaluate 3 methods that London Drugs can utilize long-term in its mission to support local community initiative through monetary point-of-sale campaigns. These methods will be ranked via the greatest to least increase its conversion rate (as defined above).