Sears Canada has embarked on a new social marketing initiative, joining forces with Industry Canada and the volunteer organization Telephone Pioneers (Canada) to help deliver 100,000 refurbished computers to classrooms and libraries across the country.

Under an agreement signed this month, Sears will lend its operational and marketing muscle to a federal donation program called ‘Computers for Schools’, promoting it in each of its 110 retail stores nationwide and through its 1,800 catalogue sales locations.

The outlets will serve as public drop-off points for used computer equipment. Sears will also help transport computers donated by businesses and individuals via its own trucking fleet to more than 30 volunteer-run refurbishment centers.

‘By participating in this type of program, we feel that we are reinforcing our reputation as a company that supports communities,’ says Andrew Pelletier, spokesperson for Sears Canada. ‘That’s what we are going after in terms of positioning. We see it fitting in well with our brand image.’

Sears is thought of as Canada’s family store, Pelletier says, something the company wants to reinforce. But with all the charities and causes vying for assistance, and with the company’s demographically-diverse customer base, settling on the right social marketing avenue has proved to be a daunting task.

Sears surveyed customers across Canada last year, Pelletier says, and asked them about the issues that matter to them. Issues connected to the well-being of children, he says, seemed to be the universal concern.

Paul Walters, chairman and ceo of Sears Canada, has also promised to donate 1,000 used computers and 400 used printers as they become available from the retailer’s own administrative operation within the next two years.

This donation will add to the 100,000 grand total of computers the program hopes to have collected and distributed by the year 2000. (To date ‘Computers for Schools’ has already refurbished and delivered 40,000 computers since the program began in 1993.)

In-store signage and flyers will be used to promote the computer donation project, using the tag line: ‘Help us help kids to a brighter future with Canada’s Computers for Schools.’

Sears is currently producing an in-store video to tell shoppers how they can donate equipment to the program. All kinds of equipment – even computers with Stone Age, 386 memory capabilities – are accepted, since they can be used to teach basic word-processing skills.

‘Instead of sending old computers to the scrap heap people can put them to some good use,’ says Eileen Inrig, of Telephone Pioneers (Canada), a North American volunteer organization of 85,000 current and retired employees of the telecommunications industry.

Lil Krstic, vice-president of Telephone Pioneers, says a number of other corporations, including provincial phone companies, gas companies, airlines, banks, and retailers provide in-kind support such as warehouse space, technology, transportation services, and so on. But Sears’ marketing prowess is the key to bringing the program out of its relative obscurity.