Celebrating the rejuvenation of our new look Millers brand!

This week we are celebrating the rejuvenation of our new look Millers brand! They have a fresh new style with beautiful logo, feminine colour palate and have launched a new brand campaign ‘Millers & Me Made for each other’ featuring our real Millers customers as the stars of the multi-channel advertising campaigns.

This blog will provide an overview of the rejuvenation and over the next few weeks we are going to share more details behind the Millers & Me and Seeing Me projects.

Brand rejuvenation

In order to truly understand what our customer was thinking and feeling we undertook Australia’s largest survey of women over 40 – and had 4,200 responses:

• 75% didn’t feel defined by their age
• 80% believed they were under represented in popular culture
• 50% felt invisible

 

The new look Millers logo 

Millers Brand Director, Jane McNally explained the ethos behind the new look Millers; “At Millers, everything we do is for the love of our women. Our women are used to putting everyone else’s interests ahead of their own and our customers felt very misrepresented in the media. The way they were being presented was dowdy and frumpy. So we put out a call on Facebook for models to be able to give them something back. We talked to customers and found out about what they really wanted. In response we created the biggest multi-channel brand campaign since our launch. It is a brave step in a way - to use real women.”

Take a look at the new look Millers website: Millers

The new look Millers stores - Bankstown, NSW

Millers & Me

Over the years, the brand has struggled to find mature models through the usual casting agencies. We’ve always wondered why this age group are so under-represented. Particularly when we see so many beautiful women in our stores!

 

New campaign image

Our new campaign is called ‘Millers & Me’ and it’s where we showcase our real customers. We wanted our women to feel proud of who they are, and who they’ve become.

Our women deserve to look and feel amazing, because they are amazing!

Seeing Me

As part of the new Millers & Me campaign featuring ‘our women’, the Seeing Me Project is also being launched.

In society, culture, fashion and advertising the mature woman is under-represented, some might say invisible, and we’d like to change this. 

The Seeing Me Project is a long-term commitment by Millers to celebrate the mature woman. Our mission is to encourage the world to see women the way we do. Our women have raised families and supported them. They’ve given love and life. They’ve given everything. They’re stronger than they realise, wiser than they know and more loved than they could ever imagine. Our women are amazing. And they deserve to be seen and celebrated! Seeing Me Project

Tracey Spicer, respected journalist, presenter & human rights activist has published a great article around The Seeing Me Project and new research on Debrief Daily here - Tracey Spicer on The Seeing Me Project

Meet Justin Pigozzo, Marketing Assistant for Rivers and recent winner at the Australasian Catalogue Awards!

Today we would like to celebrate some more SFG success and introduce you to Justin Pigozzo who is fresh from his win at the 24th Australasian Catalogue Awards. Over to you Justin…..

24th Australasian Catalogue Awards

“Hi, my name is Justin Pigozzo and I’m a Marketing Assistant for Rivers. I began my career with SFG back in May 2014. Like every new grad I trawled the internet everyday hoping to find a dream job and someone who would give a recent graduate a go!

With a degree in Graphic Design and a true passion for fashion and retail I was determined to work within the Retail Fashion industry. Whilst I was visiting family in Western Australia, I had a Skype interview for the role in Rivers, I then caught an earlier flight home to come in for a face to face interview and… a few days later I found myself as a new employee at SFG!

The Rivers Marketing team celebrating success

I joined SFG when Rivers was still a new brand to the Group. I am very fortunate to say that I have been part of the Rivers amazing transformation journey since the acquisition… and I look forward to what becomes of the brand in the future!

Working with the Rivers brand has definitely lived up to the “fast paced environment” it stated on the job description! My main role within the brand is Creative Producing – this means helping execute our frequent photo-shoots and TV commercials. With a catalogue produced every two weeks and over 3.5 million copies printed and delivered across Australia, along with countless TVC spots hitting the screens weekly, the need to be accurate and on time is hugely important. The role is hectic but that’s exactly the way I like it! No two days are the same, one day I’ll be casting models for our upcoming catalogue and TVC shoots and the next I am helping to organise a new store opening.

Justin and his giant cheque!

What’s also really amazing about working at SFG is the opportunity to succeed and be recognised for your achievements. Last month I was given the greatest honour to be nominated and become a finalist at the Australasian Catalogue Awards. I was up for the “Best Young Talent” category and was really excited at the prospect of winning! A group of us from Rivers Marketing flew to Melbourne for this fantastic event dubbed the ‘Catalogies’ that was held at the Crown Casino. We had an awesome night celebrating success as a team and enjoying dinner and a few drinks. When it came to the award announcements, I was nervous, but elated when I won my category (and a giant novelty Cheque) which was truly amazing!”

Sally Patman, Creative Director for Rivers said: “Justin’s ability and logical approach to creative production is a true asset to the team. His ability to negotiate model contracts, location fees whilst keeping the art production rounds on track is to be admired.”

Well done Justin – awesome achievement, keep up the hard work, creativity and dedication – here’s to many more years of awards & recognition!

How a creative approach to job applications can work in your favor

• Want to know how to secure your dream job?
• Want to stand out from the crowed and get noticed?
• Tired of applying on-line and not knowing if your application gets seen?

If you’ve ever been on the hunt for a new role then it’s likely you have answered ‘Yes’ to one or more of the above. In a crowded and competitive market it can be hard to stand out and grab your perspective employers attention. However, one of our newest Team Members did just that! Hear how Stuart Christie took control of his job search and landed a Buying role with our Katies brand!

“When I first moved to Australia I became aware of SFG through a friend who was temping on reception; she raved about the offices, the team members and of course the SFG culture in general. After working in fashion in various capacities in the UK I had set my sights on re-joining the industry and when the time was right SFG was my first choice. I did some investigations and set my eyes on the prize, coming up with a plan of how I would make it happen.

I had been working in an Australian Government recruitment role trying to place people with disability into work and we had to employ various innovative strategies in securing opportunities for the candidates. This got me thinking about my own job search and I came up with a creative way to put myself in front of the right people at SFG. I wanted to show that all my previous (and very varied) work experience, in the fashion industry, would be right for them and make for a great investment for the company.

Having had a great deal of contact with employers and businesses it was clear to me that many candidates fail at the first hurdle due to their resume so I wanted to tackle this head on. I set about creating a document that was both visually different and also included content presented in a fresh and easily digestible way. I used logos instead of company names and formatted the whole thing to A5; placing the finished document into a blank cardboard folio style binder.

With the use of LinkedIn I created a mailing list of all the important people in HR and Buying across every brand under the SFG umbrella. This list ensured I had a targeted approach and made sure my document landed on the right desk. In addition to my creative resume & target list I decided to give each recipient an incentive to take time out of their day to review my skills for relevancy; so  I popped a gorgeous, individual tea bag into each 'resume pack' in the hope they would enjoy it while reading 'my story'. 

 

Stuart's awesome resume 'pack'

It worked. 

I was contacted by SFG a couple weeks later to arrange a telephone interview, they didn't have any opportunities at the time but thought my approach and initiative, coupled with my skills(!), suited SFG's ideology and of course the SHIRT values at the core of the business.

I wasn't hired immediately, as there wasn't an opportunity, but as soon as one came up I received the phone call I had been waiting and here I am working at SFG and I am VERY happy about it. The team at Katies are amazing and have been very supportive in me learning the role and business. Everyone is really friendly, approachable and hard working.

I thank SFG for being open to my unusual approach and I really feel it is a true reflection of the open-mindedness and resourcefulness of the business to go outside the box to improve the business at every level. I hope to be a member of the team here for a very long time to come." By Stuart Christie

Stuart Looking very happy in his role at Katies! 

Notes from the Editor - As a lucky recipient of a 'resume pack' including yummy peppermint tea bag I can assure readers that this was one of the most innovative job applications I have received in over 10yrs. We LOVED receiving it! Well done Stuart we hope you have a long, happy & successful career with SFG!  

SFG’s expansion in to the USA

SFG’s expansion in to the USA

Last week our CEO Gary Perlstein was on the road in California visiting our City Chic stores in the USA!

2014 was a milestone year for SFG as we opened our first stores overseas as part of SFG’s growth strategy into international markets.

Gary Perlstein with some of our glamorous City Chic Team Members 

SFG’s purpose is that: We will be a global market leader as or brands change the perception of fashion; our City Chic brand is our first as they lead a world of curves through fearless fashion.

Gary spent time with our City Chic team in California, sharing with them our new purpose and seeing and hearing WHY they come to work every day.

• Why do we do what we do?
• What makes us get out of bed in the morning? 
• How will my contribution make a difference? 

No matter what your role is at SFG we want out Team Members to understand they are impact on SFG’s PURPOSE. Whether you work in a store directly interacting with customers or if you work in a support function, it’s important you remember the WHY so that you can deliver the best customer experience and having a great time doing it.

If you share a passion for our purpose being a global market leader as our brands changes the perception of fashion then we would like to hear from you! Please feel free to send your CV through to recruitment@sfg.co

Part 2 of our Company Purpose launch: Fail fast, surround yourself with extraordinary people, hire your weaknesses, and tap into your customers...

Last week we blogged about our Company Purpose launch evening and shared with you SFG’s purpose. Now that you know what makes us jump out of the bed in the morning – we want to share more about the event, the inspirational special guest, along with insight into what some of our fabulous brands have been doing to change the perception of fashion!

After we indulged in some tasty canapés, drinks and had an update on the State of Origin scores, we welcomed the motivational entrepreneur, Lisa Messenger, author, publisher, Founder and Editor in Chief of the Renegade Collective magazine. The Collective Magazine appeals to game changers, rule breakers and thought leaders with a common appetite for challenging the status quo.

Lisa is a dynamic, high energy individual with strong values led ambition. She lives and leads with purpose!

Gary Perlstein & Lisa Messenger 

Lisa’s philosophy and approach to life had such an uncanny alignment to our PURPOSE that it was a bit surreal. She is passionate and 100% living & breathing her PURPOSE – she believes that anything is possible if you back yourself, never give up and surround yourself with an amazing team. She told us to “Fail fast, surround yourself with extraordinary people, hire your weaknesses, and tap into your customers…”

To read more about Lisa Messenger or the Renegade Collective check out her site The Collective

After Lisa’s inspiring segment, our CEO, Gary, took to the stage once again and asked representatives from three of our brands to join him to share the brand journeys and how they are bringing our purpose to life.

First up, was Carly Turner, Marketing Manager for City Chic who spoke about their passion for their customer by giving her both what she wants and needs.

She told us about the brands light bulb moment that they could be more than just a clothing retailer; “We could be a community, a sisterhood and a brand that our customers really wanted to be part of.

It was from the creation of our community and sisterhood that we learnt our customers wanted to look like their skinner friends and have the same shopping experiences as them. They didn’t want to wear daggy moo moos, they wanted to wear fashion they could pick-up in, that made them look hot but more importantly feel hot!

Our customers showed us they wanted to be bold, sexy, glam and chic, they wanted to be part of a brand that embraced and celebrated curves, a brand that would change the face of the plus size industry.

To show the customers we were listening we knew we had to do something bold that would make a stand for curvy women everywhere.

City Chic made history as the first plus size fashion brand to walk the catwalk along straight size designers at Rosemont Fashion week. In true City Chic form we shocked the crowd and the press as international model Laura Wells tore off her skirt revealing a display of curves that had never been seen on the Australian runway!”

City Chic has grown from strength to strength and recently opened its’ 100^th store and is our first brand to spearhead SFG’s international growth as they launch stores in South Africa & the USA. The City Chic customer is bold, sexy & glam; she isn’t afraid to showcase her curves & lead a world of curves through fearless fashion.  To see more of what CC is up to Click Here and check out Inside CC!

Carly Turner, Linda Whitehead, Christabel Warner & Gary Perlstein

Next, our Crossroads Brand Director, Linda Whitehead, spoke to us about the Crossroads woman; she is real, down to earth and fun, she wants to feel comfortable in her clothes but she feels she doesn’t fit in the world of fashion today – this was their challenge! They had to redefine fashion for their customer and they took it upon themselves to deliver great products that build our customers confidence by understanding what she really wants.

A significant step was to start using a gorgeous size 12-14 model in their advertising campaigns as she represented the reality of Australian women. The feedback from our Facebook fans has been overwhelming! Women were suddenly telling us that they can finally see how the product would look on them and it was about time ‘average’ sized women were being used to advertise clothing. To check out our beautiful model In the Crossroads Style Edit

Crossroads is here to support busy women at different stages of her life and as her body changes. The brand has created jeans that fit and flatter woman at any age of any size. Through their ‘Fit Bus’, launched a the Easter Show in Sydney earlier this year, they are touring the east coast of Australia, helping women find great fitting pants, no matter what their shape or size.

Finally, we passed the mic over to Christabel Warner, National Operations Manager for Autograph. Christabel spoke about the brands journey of reconnecting with the customer and really understanding the struggles she has in life but also in finding clothes that make her look & feel confident.

We were introduced to the body image movement led by Taryn Brumfitt, and watched her thought provoking video. Watch this space for the brands collaboration with Taryn and the body image movement! We encourage everyone to take a look Body Image Movement

A little gift for our Team Members to keep the PURPOSE fresh in their minds

As the evening was drawing to a close we turned our attention to the screens to watch another short video – but this time shot by SFG’ers - where some of our Team Members and customers spoke about their roles bringing our PURPOSE to life & WHY they do what they do.

Here at SFG, we don’t take ourselves to seriously and always enjoy a good laugh so we prepared a bloopers reel! Some will say it was the highlight of the night!

The lights went up and each attendee was a presented with a copy of Lisa Messenger’s book, Daring & Disruptive and were given the opportunity to have it personally signed and even a photo with her!

It was a busy, full-on, fun packed event. We had a serious message to communicate but we had some laughs along the way. We left inspired, motivated and connected to our purpose. We appreciate everyone’s commitment in attending and really hope that they got something out of the event. Maybe inspiration, a new idea, a connection to their PURPOSE? As Gary said “The characteristics we look for in our team members include; consistency, fair play, authenticity, scope to grow, learn & develop & persistence.”  

We’ll leave you with one final thought:

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.

And what you do simply proves what you believe.

Do you know why you jump out of bed every morning? Do you know why you do what you do

#ourculturecode

Last week we launched our new Corporate Purpose, or Mission Statement, to our 400 Support Office Team Members in Sydney. We kept the event a secret and built the suspense and excitement through enticing (but ambiguous) emails and teaser posters throughout the building – after weeks of speculations we had some very interesting theories about what we were doing!

The night was a huge success and a milestone in SFG history as it was the first time we had everyone together in one forum.

Beautiful product in the Ivy ballroom

From 4pm our Team Members started to fill up the Ivy Ballroom and at 5pm the doors shut when Gary Perlstein, our CEO, took to the stage. Gary started SFG back in 1993 and is a key figure in our business. Gary gave us an update on the business performance in FY15 and delivered our key focus for the new year ahead. He outlined our group KPI’s and goals to emphasise that whilst we are a multi-brand group, where each brand has its own targets and goals, we are one #sfgfamily, and it is important we all know what our common goals are.

Then our Leadership Team took to the stage to introduce their individual brands/departments along with key focuses for FY16 – we even learnt their star signs, both Western & Chinese which included everything from a Rat to a Tiger! We had a Q&A with Gary, with questions from Team Members, asking what they really wanted to know about him. They ranged from personal to the professional; one of the stories he told resulted in him rolling around on stage to re-enact a key store moment for him, early on in SFG history!! (there’s no photo of that unfortunately!)

Gary Perlstein, CEO

After this, Gary got to the core of the event – WHY were we all there? He introduced us to Simon Sinek’s, Leadership expert and Author, principle: The Golden Circle. Most of us know WHAT we do and HOW we do it – but how many of us know WHY we do it? If you can identify your WHY you will be inspired and inspire others. Successful, authentic and respected companies (and people) are connected to their WHY, they live it and breathe it.

As SFG has changed and grown over the years it was important for us to re-evaluate our WHY and make sure we knew not only what we did and how, but more importantly WHY we did it. To see more of what we are talking about visit Simon’s website: Start with Why

So, what is our WHY? What inspires us?

Our new corporate PURPOSE …….

We know our reason for being is a little aspirational, but we dream BIG because we believe we CAN!

You might be asking, WHY such an ambitious statement? You’d be right in stating it is ambitious – but we aren’t afraid of that. Let’s ask a different question?

•         WHY is fashion just for the young or the skinny?
•         WHY doesn’t everyone deserve to look and feel great in what the wear?
•         WHY should anyone feel marginalised because of their age or size?

Our brands don’t exclude anyone and cater for the mature and curvy because our customers deserve the right to look great and feel confident. To quote Gary on the night “We want to build confidence and self-esteem to help change people’s lives – to be life changing!”

Our lovely City Chic Team - looking bold, sexy & glam! 

Some of the stories we hear from customers in our stores would shock and upset you; women who have been abused because of their size, by both strangers and supposed loved ones; made to feel insignificant, not worthy and disgusting. People should not determine their success or failure based on their clothing size. Whether you lose or gain weight your self-worth should not fluctuate. There needs to be a shift in society towards promoting a body positive image and fashion retailers have a key part to play. 

This is WHY we are on a mission, we are living with PURPOSE.

In the second part of our blog next week we will talk about our inspirational guest speaker and provide more insight into what some of our fabulous brands have been doing to change the perception of fashion! 

Crossroads Pop-Up Fit Bus

We are very excited to announce the arrival of the Crossroads Pop-Up Fit Bus!!!  We launched this last week at the Sydney Royal Easter Show where we will open for business for the next two weeks before we head off on a 20-week trip down the East Coast of Australia with Westfield centres. 

The Fit Bus is a pop-up shop where new and existing customers can come and see the Crossroads brand and our fantastic fit proposition brought to life. In the ‘store’ are skilled ‘fit specialists’ who help ladies chose the best fit pant’s for them. With 5 styles, 7 colours and 3 leg length we have got you covered! Some of the features of our range include:

• Tummy smoothing 
• Waist adjuster 
• Tummy control 
• Rear shaping 
• Elastane rich fabric 

Our first day was really busy and we had an opportunity to really engage with customers on a more intimate basis.  The bus has some great features that allow us to showcase our Denim and Black Pants range and allows the customer to get the best fitting product! 

This concept was pulled together in record time by the Crossroads team.  In just 5 weeks the team have worked to get the bus fully re-built on the interior, stocked, staffed, video made, marketing collateral created and printed, tour organised and new bags printed to name a few of the core activities!

Well done to team Crossroads!