Country Market Pharmacy Saline

1. An interim report on signage and promotion within Country Market and throughout the community of Saline, Michigan. Country Market PharmacySaline

2. Adrian, Brooklyn and Chelsea are selling approximately 1800 – 2100 prescriptions per month compared to approximately 700 prescriptions per month for Saline. The short-term goal for Saline is to increase prescription sales to approximately 1,000 per month by October. Saline has had no meaningful promotion –not even signage—until now. The six-month window to improve (April through October) should provide enough time for the current promotion to work (or not).

3. In Store Non-Specific Signage“Get to Know Joe” Signage within Store “Joe” Signage inside Local Businesses Starting April 2009 we produced and erected a significant amount of signage for Saline.

4. Here is one of the new non-specific pharmacy signs in the Country Market. The signs were prepared by Benchmark Graphics of Idaho—a supplier to Amerisource Bergen. A Country Market shopper first sees this sign after getting a cart and beginning his walk through the store. The fruits and vegetables are just to the right. Three new mega-signs

5. Another mega-signnear the bakery

6. Another mega-signat the check-out lanes

7. We plan to add a fourth mega-sign that features Melissa

8. Meanwhile, “Joe” signage now appears throughout the store with the“Get to Know Joe” campaign. The vinyl sign above the store entrance was prepared by Metropolitan Graphics

9. Customers waiting for Deli Service can read about the simple ‘Get to Know Joe’ contest rules Each “Get to Know Joe” floor sign features a picture of Joe with one or more of the local merchants participating with him in the contest.

10. The 22” X 28” sign holder is one of three purchased from Metropolitan Graphics for about $40 each. There are two signs near the check out lanes to catch other customers in queue.

11. Check Out Lanes There is a second reminder of the contest while customers approach the cashier. The signs hang from the eight individually numbered lane lights as shown by the arrow.

12. Check Out Lane Here are close-ups of the signs hanging from the check-out lane lights. This is Joe with Susan Wisniewski, proprietor of Saline Flowerland.

13. Check Out Lane Joe with Lori Sun of “My Favorite Café”

14. Check Out Lane Joe with Tancy the Tailor

15. Check out Lane Joe with Rick from CarQuest

16. Check Out Lane Joe with John Ahn, Jr. from Elite Cleaners.

17. Check Out Lane Joe with Mark Memmering of Express Tires

18. Check Out Lane Joe with Jill Fair of New Hairizon

19. During Cashier Ring-up The actual contest begins at the check out lane. See the small sign highlighted by the red arrow. The sign tells customers they are at “the starting gate” for a chance to win prizes in the ‘Get to Know Joe’ contest. As with the larger signs hanging from the lane numbers, each small sign features a different retailer.

20. During Ring Up Here’s what one of the smaller signs looks like up close.

21. During Ring Up Here’s another featuring Joe with Patty from GNC.

22. During Ring Up Here’s Joe with Dina, the manicurist/manager of BB Nails

23. Standing at Check Out Underneath each small sign and laying atop the check-writing platform (see where arrow points) are the weekly challenge questions in the ‘Get to Know Joe’ contest. The customer tears a sheet off the pad, answers the question and delivers it to the pharmacy for a prize.

24. Standing at Check Out Here is a pad laying atop the check writing platform. Here is the front side of a typical weekly challenge pad.

25. Contest Questions The first week we asked customers to find out Joe’s last name and write it on the reverse side of the form.

26. Contest Questions Then we asked customers to learn about Joe’s childhood.

27. Contest Questions In week 3 we gave Joe a chance to talk about his credentials.

28. Contest Questions In week 4 we started introducing customers to the Pharmacy Club and our attention to pricing.

29. Contest Questions In week 5 we got personal again. Joe keeps a picture of his beautiful daughter with him at all times. He showed the girl, customers went ooh and ahh and Joe was proud.

30. Contest Questions In week 6 Joe became a pharmacist again. We have four weeks to go with our weekly questions.

31. Contest Questions The answer to the question in week 7 will be: Ferris State University Wayne State University University of Michigan

32. Contest Questions Joe has ailments, too. In the question for week eight he’ll discuss reflux and maybe a couple of other conditions with the people who ‘get to know’ him. Who knows? Maybe it will help customers feel more comfortable discussing their own ailments with Joe.

33. The Importance of Cashiers Despite signage and the offer of instant prizes, customers began to “get to know Joe” only when cashiers became fully briefed on the contest, and became incentivized to send customers to the pharmacy. When cashiers learned they could win a $100 gift certificate for sending the most customers to Joe, they wrote their employee numbers on the question slips. This occurred starting in the 3rd week of the campaign.

34. The Exchange Country Market customers bring their completed question slips to Joe. Joe helps them answer the weekly question if needed, engages in conversation and helps the customer win a prize.

35. Everybody wins when you “Get to Know Joe” When the customer brings a completed challenge slip. Joe, Sherri or Melissa crank the bingo cage and discharge one of the balls corresponding to one of 150 different prizes. Prizes like Pepsi products, dollar bills, water bottles or GNP Chip Clips are behind the pharmacy counter. Those prizes are given to the customer upon winning. Other prizes like free oil changes or 3 weeks free at the gym are given as coupons and redeemed by customers with the local merchants. This prize board—made mega size—is mounted near the pharmacy

36. 40 Participating Retailers Prior to creating the prize board, I approached 55 different businesses over a two week period asking each to join us in a community-wide promotion called “Get to Know Joe” and “Get to Know Joe’s Friends.” If they (the owners) would contribute ten small prizes each (one for each of ten weeks) and also one grand prize, we would promote their store within the Country Market and create a contest that would send our customers to them. Forty proprietors agreed. As we promoted their businesses inside Country Market, they also agreed to promote Joe inside their stores.

37. 40 Retailers This is Katrina of “The Quilting Season.” Like most of the retailers she displays an 8 X 10 picture of her and Joe on her sales counter. Then, just in front of the picture and held down by Velcro is a tear-off coupon pad inviting her customers to go visit Joe and win an instant prize. The Quilting Season gave a do-it-yourself quilting set (value of $10) for their weekly prize and a $50 gift certificate for their grand prize.

38. 40 Retailers Weekly prizes range from an oil change to an order of California Rolls at a Sushi Bar. The average value of a weekly prize is $15. With 40 retailers, the contribution from all combined is $600 per week, $2,000 for the grand prize week, and $8,000 in total contributions from our participating retailers. Order of California Rolls Espresso Woman’s Haircut Six-pack of Beer Smoothie

39. Grocery Prizes We had hoped to get 20 of 150 weekly prizes from food suppliers of Country Market. Kim Kennedy suggested asking some of them. Mickey Zippay, the Saline store manager, proposed 10 different companies that would be amenable to contributing 2 prizes per week each. We created the prize board based on Mickey’s suggestions. Mickey then sought approval from Guy Kennedy, but apparently Kim and Guy had not spoken about Kim’s initial suggestion. Without Guy’s approval Mickey could not move forward. With the prize board already made, we decided to purchase the grocery items ourselves. They included: Two loaves of bread Two bags of chips Two 2-liter bottles of Pepsi Two jars of pasta sauce Two boxes of Little Debbie’s Cakes Two ½ gallons of milk Two pounds of Deli Meat Two cans of organic soup Two boxes of Nabisco crackers Two boxes of Keebler cookies

40. Pharmacy Prizes Each week the Pharmacy has been prepared to give away 1 Heating Pad, 1 Blood Pressure Cuff, 16 Chip Clips, 10 Water Bottles, 5 Hand Sanitizers, 5 Pill Splitters, 5 Five-Dollar Bills, 5 First Aid Kits, and 25 One-Dollar Bills. Pill Splitter Five Dollar Bill Heating pad Chip Clip Hand Sanitizer Water Bottle One Dollar Bill Two thirds of all prizes are paid for by Country Market Pharmacy, yet only one third of all prizes are given away each week. That means Country Market Pharmacy is paying out just 21% of the prize commitment it was willing to make. Blood Pressure Cuff First Aid Kid

41. The Grand Prize Contest When customers approach Joe for their weekly prizes, he also gives them a Grand Prize Entry Form (see below). Answers to questions about Joe’s hair, his garden, his work-out routine, or his clothing can only be answered by visiting the participating retailers.

42. Grand Prize Contest We promote participating retailers with signage in our store, and by making them an integral part of the Grand Prize Drawing. Customers must visit Saline retailers to win the Grand Prizes. For example, the only way that Joe’s customers can find out that Joe wants to plant a Cleveland Flowering Pear Tree this year is to visit Nature’s Garden Center and read the sign that sits atop the check-out counter in that store. Once customers know it, they can begin to fill out the Grand Prize Entry Form.

43. Grand Prize Contest TypicalQuestions Typical Answers

44. Grand Prize Contest The back side of the Grand Prize Entry Form contains language explaining the contest and our motivation. It is intended to encourage our customers to visit the Saline merchants in a show of community support.

45. Grand Prize, Weekly Prize All merchants have answers to Grand Prize questions sitting on their counter-tops in an 8 X 10 frame (see picture left). They also have a tear-off pad (see in front of counter top frame). The tear-off pad enables customers of our participating retailers to win a prize from Joe even if they have never been inside the Country Market. They win a prize if they go meet Joe at the Country Market Pharmacy in the same way grocery shoppers win a prize when they walk over from the grocery check-out line. Customized tear-off pads were created for each of the 40 merchants. They are helping us keep track of the merchants that send over the most customers to meet Joe to win prizes. We are giving prizes to the retailers that send over the most customers.

46. The campaign is designed to encourage grocery customers to meet Joe.

47. Joe with his barber ladies Joe getting his auto supplies Here are a couple of examplesof the hanging signs

48. Here’s Joe telling his customers that unless they’re eating about six servings a day of vegetables they probably need a calcium supplement. Joe is working hard Joe has been willing to pose with all the local shopkeepers, with product in hand or in front of anything that will help sell the pharmacy or pharmacy services. He’s been an extremely good sport about this.

49. Total Production Work Total Sales Work Approximately 15 Days Approximately 50 Days Total Out of Pocket Expenses $2,464

50. What are we missing? Wooden block letters could be painted white and placed above the Country Market sign for about $30.