Genie Pepper is the co-director of PLUM, a family business that has been producing children’s fashion for 3 generations. PLUM produces an extensive range of high quality Australian designed, children & baby fashion, swimwear, sleepwear and sleep bags.
Since taking over ownership in 2011 Shane and Eugenie Pepper have given the business a major overhaul and have driven PLUM to a new era of success with there dynamic approach to running the business and determination to revitalize the brand, increase sales and take the Plum to the rest of the world. Plum‘s sales have doubled in the last year and looks like they will double again next year.
You can find out more about PLUM, Shane and Genie here: www.plumcollections.com.au
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Christo: Good day folks and welcome back to another episode. Today we have a very special guest. I know I say that all the time but this one was a really fun interview that we did with Genie from Plum. Plum provide children’s clothing and they do a very good job at it. Here is a little buyer. Plum produces an extensive range of high quality Australian designed children and baby fashion, swimwear, sleepwear and sleeping bags.
Plum is a family business and has been producing children fashion for three generations. And since taking over ownership in 2011, Shane and Genie have given the business a major overhaul. Plum sells have doubled in the last year and it looks like they will double again in the next year. So doing an amazing job, let’s bring her out of the corp.
Franziska: Hi, Genie, thank you so much for joining us today.
Genie: Hi, it’s nice to join you.
Christo: Good day there.
Franziska: I’m excited about this one because we just had a quick chat before this interview and I said I do believe to have bought some of your plum product for my girlfriends in the past. So I’d love to know a little bit about the journey, about your business journey with Plum and how it all came about.
Genie: Sure. Well, in 2011 my husband and I took over the family business. It’s been going for quite a while. It‘s three generations. My husband’s grandparents first started it and back then they were more involved in plastics. Quite different from what we are doing now. And they started by doing the plastic pilchards which were the cloth nappy covers and they eventually became obsolete and that’s how they got more involved in kids wear and kids fashion.
Franziska: Was it always called Plum?
Genie: No, the actual business name is Sunny Textiles and Plum is really the name of the fashion brand.
Franziska: And when did that come about? Did you guys came up with Plum or who came up with that name and why?
Genie: You know what? That’s a question that I’ve asked my husband and he thinks it was him. Because my husband has actually always worked in the business. Well, we are not really sure. It has probably been about 15 years that had the name Plum.
Franziska: It’s lovely. It’s really lovely.
Christo: It’s a cool name.
Franziska: I have to say an issue here, my husband always claims stuff that I think he hasn’t come up with.
Christo: I think I came up with everything. Didn’t I?
Franziska: Sure, sure.
Genie: One of my friends, without me asking did the numerology for Plum and she says it’s very good.
Christo: Yeah, nice.
Franziska: Something that you guys have done since 2011 that I have seen with Plum, the brand, is that you’ve really rejuvenated and revolutionized that brand to increase sells. Can you talk us through the process of doing that? And how you went about it?
Genie: Sure. Well, one of the most exciting things when we took over was to be able to make some changes. As parents of young children we really get what the market wants. So we went around about changing the look so it’s been more fashionable and a bit more current and at the same time, still, being practical for parents. So it‘s easy fashion for kids… It’s not anything too tricky. I think the starting point was just getting the design right.
Christo: Yeah, it sounds like it has come a long way since those nappy covers.
Genie: Yes.
Franziska: So tell me a little about who does the design. Does any of you do the design or you work with some professionals? Or how is this working?
Genie: Even if I have my backgrounds in design, we have a design team and they work on every day designs of the clothing. And we also have a part time graphic designer that works with the packaging, does the packaging. And since we took over we’ve redone all the packaging. So it’s got the big red Plum on it, so it’s very visual. Particularly with our sleep bags and our accessory range. When you walk into a shop, a department store, either David Jones or Baby Bunting it’s very visual. You see our Plum straight away.
Franziska: Yes, that’s why I’m really curious about how you went about developing the brand. Because it’s very clean, it’s a very clean brand.
Christo: It’s noticeable isn’t it? And memorable.
Franziska: So, how many stores have you got? Where are you? Where can you buy Plum?
Genie: We are now in David Jones and we are doing a lot of things with David Jones which is really exciting. So, that’s nationwide. We are also in Baby Bunting which is also nationwide. And lots of small local retailers too. So, we’re getting out there, and not only we‘re getting out there in Australia, we’re getting out there in the world. And that’s been really exciting for us. And we have done that by getting agents in different countries and taking part in a few trade fairs.
Franziska: Fantastic. I was gonna ask you actually, because we probably have a few listeners, small businesses that have products and that would love to be taken on board by a David Jones for example. Can you share some strategies to get into a big chain like David Jones?
Genie: Okay. I think the starting point is obviously having a great product but then also building a good relationship with the buyers and that is really, really important. And when you do get a foot in that door which can be quite hard, is really listening to what they want and what they are after. And quite often they’ll want something that is unique, that no one else is doing in their store. And that’s really important to find, your uniqueness.
And I think, I suppose what has made us really important to the big stores is we’ve initiated a partnership with SIDS and Kids which is a charity that supports research and education on sudden infant death and they also have a bereavement service so our partnership enable us to carry their logo on our products. And I think that gives people security when they buy our products.
Christo: It’s good credibility.
Franziska: Yeah, and I really want to talk about that a little bit further, later on. The one thing that you mention is to be taken on board by the big guys you have to be unique but you still have to also be mainstream enough to have mass appeal. Which is quite a fine balance… Cause you wanna be unique, and we always talk about how to be unique and uniqueness in our Clever Bunch and our other marketing programs. But then the question becomes with a brand like you that you want to get it into the big retailers, you have to be unique but you still have to be appealing for most people to buy.
Genie: That’s right. So I think that because our clothes are practical, they are comfortable and they are unique, not too much the same of anyone else out there. It’s very different but yes we have appealed to the broader market.
Franziska: Yes, so it’s not too crazy but it’s still quite unique appealing to a broad market.
Genie: Yes.
Christo: Yeah. Also, what would be really cool for the listeners because you do have a product and obviously you do the whole sale market and then you also sale direct online. Is that correct?
Genie: That’s correct. Yes.
Christo: So, what would be really cool is to share just a couple of insights in how you market the direct sales and then on the other hand, I guess you did mention earlier the relationship things to get into the kind of big chains. But any other ways as well. And maybe your take as well on the kind of balance between you know, you got to market directly to the public and then marketing to get those bigger as a whole seller.
Franziska: That’s about four questions in one, isn’t it?
Christo: It is, it is.
Franziska: Good luck Genie.
Genie: It is interesting because before 2001 the focus of the business was very much on the wholesale clients. They didn’t really market directly to the public at all, and when I got involved, I realized that somewhere we were lacking. And I made sure that I’ve got our website much more appealing, much easier to use and we started focusing more on things like social media, Facebook, doing competitions and we haven’t done a newsletter before that and now we do a regular newsletter. Because before all they really did was the trade shows… And that was really sort of missing out on these big opportunities to market directly to our customers.
Franziska: I think it’s great how you then decide “well, you know what we also need to build our own following and our own fun not just in terms of wholesaling. Because the most power you have in our days in terms of marketing, the more fun you have, if you have a million fans on Facebook, how much easier would it be to get into the big chains? A lot easier because they can already see that you got the social prove, and you’ve got a big market behind you. So it’s much easier for a product like yours to get into the chains if they start doing their own marketing as well.
Genie: Yes, that’s so true and so I worked really hard on developing that fine and it’s actually really lovely to get the feedback and having that communication with the end customer it’s great… Also market research. The girls are designing something and I can put it out there saying we are thinking of doing nighties for girls this winter. What do you think? And I can get thirty or forty mums saying…
Franziska: Yeah, I love that thing.
Genie: Yes, we would definitely buy them. And it’s that instant feedback that I love and we have quite a few fans that are just so loyal and they are important because they are out there talking about our brand.
Franziska: Yeah, and it’s kind of like pre-launching it so you might have a new design that you might pursue but before you even go down that path you can kind of pre-launch it a little bit and announce it and then see how people want it and if they want it. We call it the love consistency. It’s based on a guy called Geodene who came up with that but if they said yes to your question in the beginning when you say “Hey, would you like this nightie?” and if they say they will be more likely to actually stick to that and buy that nightie when it actually comes out.
Genie: Yes, yes.
Franziska: I love that. You also said when I spoke with you earlier about direct marketing promotions. Can you talk a little bit about that and how you go about doing direct marketing?
Genie: Yes, so, let me think. To promote the brand we do things like castings for our fashion parades and photo shoots and so, that’s really great for us to get people from Facebook to put on photos of their kids and it creates this big word of mouth buzz. And gets many people involved in our brand which has really been great. And one of the other things that we do that we found has been really great is working with other businesses that have a similar market to us. So we’ve done lots of competitions and worked closely to other businesses, helping them and they help us with marketing and promotion.
Franziska: That’s great. Can you give us a specific example of doing a strategic alliance where you align yourself with other businesses with the same market but not in competition?
Genie: Yes, so let me think of a good example. For example one of the more retail mummy websites, we’ll do a competition with them and they will get people to write a review on Plum. And they have to like our page or things like that sort…
Franziska: So like a competition give away… so their followers can win something if they interact with your brand? Is that one of the…?
Genie: That’s right.
Franziska: That’s great. We love strategic alliances. This is one of the best marketing strategies that we love here at Basic bananas.
Christo: Yeah, very powerful. A lot of clients get amazing results … some of the businesses purely just drive on joint ventures and get amazing results.
Genie: Yeah.
Christo: It’s very interesting. And just out of curiosity cause I’ve been having this conversation with a client recently that has a product. When you went to take the product online and sell direct did you have much resistance? It’s good for people to hear this I think, from within the business world. They are afraid that then the counter retail might pull the pin on if you’re selling direct. How did you handle that?
Genie: I know, that thing has always been a concern for us and particularly more so, I think my husband Shane was more worried about our smaller retailers, actually, they would get upset. So far we haven’t encountered that. I try very hard also to support our smaller retailers by offering … If they’re having any promotions for Plum in their stores that I‘ll personally do a post about their local store on our Facebook page. So I try to make them happy in that sort of way, promoting them. Because also if you’re always promoting your website on the Facebook page I think that they could see that we are not focused on them as much so…
Franziska: Lovely.
Christo: Yeah, yeah, that’s really cool and obviously it’s beneficial for them when you do the promotions of course, it’s a win-win. I love to hear that because I know a lot of people encounter that same fear almost to the point where they might just stop and not actually set up their own online store or they kind of procrastinate on it. So it’s good to hear…
Genie: We haven’t gone as hard as promoting the online store for that reason.
Christo: Yeah.
Franziska: Something else I’d love to talk about more, as we mentioned earlier, is your alliance with the charity SIDS and Kids. Can you talk a little bit about the benefits of doing that? And also how can a small business go about choosing a charity to work with?
Genie: Well, firstly, to choose a charity … I had a personal connection with Seats and Kids so I always wanted to do something with them even before I worked in the family business. For us it was very easy to initiate that partnership. We called them up and they were really excited and it was good timing as well because they were open to having a partnership and it all just went from there and it’s been a really rewarding accomplishment because we have managed to give them a lot back, financially, and I personally get involved.
When they have, they’re based in Melbourne, their head office, and when they do have events in Sydney I try to help out as much as I can at a really hands on level. They did something at the Powerhouse which was the launch of the new safe sleeping campaign at the Wiggles exhibition, where they were launching the new Wiggles safe sleeping song. And I was checking out the venue before hand and doing lots of things just to help on a hands on kind of way…
Franziska: That’s so great.
Christo: Nice.
Franziska: I’m actually quite impressed that you are allowed to use the logo on the products so how does the partnership work? Do you donate a percentage of each sales? Or how do you make it work for them and for you?
Genie: We donate a percentage of the sales of the sleep bags and our accessories range as well and we also give them things to sell on their website.
Franziska: Excellent.
Christo: Very nice.
Franziska: So it’s just a percentage of some of the products; not the whole range.
Genie: Yeah. The products that are safe sleeping. The products that relate to safe sleeping.
Franziska: But they have allowed you to use the logo on all the products.
Genie: Yes.
Franziska: That’s great. That‘s a very great partnership and definitely probably you got them at the right moment when they were maybe looking for a great partner and it’s a great alignment too because your brand Plum is targeting the mums, the kids…
Genie: Yes.
Franziska: The mums, the mums of the kids; which is a great alignment.
Christo: Yeah, awesome.
Genie: It’s great and it’s because we have a great range of the baby sleeping bags which SIDS supports because they’re safer to sleep in rather than having blankets.
Franziska: That’s fantastic. That’s so great.
Christo: Very cool.
Franziska: I was just thinking what I bought on your website once, maybe years or so. But I think it was for either swim wear or something like that.
Christo: Swimwear for yourself?
Franziska: Maybe not for myself. I don’t know if I would fit in there.
Genie: It’s for six-seven years.
Franziska: Yes, so I might not fit. Thanks for the compliment though.
Christo: So what are you working at right now?
Genie: Well, I’ve been very, very busy. We’re doing our first fashion show. And it is to support SIDS and Kids. So it is a charity event and it’s keeping me busy because imagine doing all the fittings for kids between the ages of three and fourteen years.
Franziska: So do you have like kids that are going to walk down the catwalk?
Genie: Certainly. And the most exciting is that because of our association with SIDS and Kids we’ve got Dorothy the dinosaur coming. So the Wiggles are ambassadors for SIDS and Kids and they kindly organized for Dorothy to be part of the catwalk show.
Christo: That’s cool.
Genie: And to do a performance with the kids.
Franziska: I’m sure it will be quite easy to find kids right? All the mums pushing their little daughters and boys to do the catwalk thing. Is that how it is or am I totally mistaken?
Genie: Obviously the kids are really excited. It could be overwhelming for the young children to get up on the stage but Dorothy the dinosaur will lead them in.
Franziska: That’s lovely.
Genie: So, it’s gonna be a lot of fun. And then we’re gonna have a kids disco afterwards.
Franziska: So it’s completely different to the beauty pitch, what is it called?
Christo: Pageant.
Franziska: Is not quite a pageant. I can’t say that word. It’s a bit different.
Genie: It’s a lot of fun, getting the kids on the stage, doing the…
Franziska: Very lovely. Where is it? Can American people find out about it?
Genie: They can email me, we don’t have it actually on our website but there is on our Plum Facebook page.
Franziska: And what’s the date? When is it?
Genie: It’s on Sunday the 28 October.
Franziska: Oh, it’s already coming up.
Genie: Yeah, it’s at 1.00pm and it’s on at the South Sydney Juniors Club in Kingsford.
Franziska: Alright, we’d better get this Show out this week then. Just in case.
Christo: South Sydney Juniors Club in Kingsford, yeah.
Franziska: We’ll put it out this week. If you had just one tip, one of your favorite tips for small business owners what would it be?
Genie: I think it’s just important to find ways to promote your business without spending money and the first starting point should definitely be I think social media. And also don’t be afraid to speak to people and ask people for advice or to be a mentor. Cause I think that I found that people are really open to helping you out especially when you’re starting out.
Franziska: I agree. Usually when you start a new business you have no money but you have time so you can invest a bit more time in doing the marketing strategies for yourself. You still obviously need guidance and you need to know which strategies to use and when so you don’t waste all your time. But then as you progress you make more money and you have less time so then you can use paid advertising because obviously both free and paid channels are very effective for small business, but I like that.
Genie: Yes.
Franziska: Now, I love that question, what are you reading right now?
Genie: What book am I reading?
Franziska: Yeah. Are you reading a book? And if so, what is it?
Genie: My goodness, I think I’m actually reading The Great Gatsby.
Christo: That’s cool.
Franziska: Okay, so, great lessons in there for businesses for sure.
Genie: Were you talking about business books?
Franziska: No, no, just any book.
Genie: Yes, I have been reading. Because actually recently I went to the library and I have picked up some books on out-marketing just to inspire me and I just only flicked through them. I haven’t really got into it…
Franziska: I hope you have Bananas about marketing.
Genie: I will have to get it today.
Christo: That’s right. But another thing you touched out there which was really cool was the whole getting mentors and asking because we work with a lot of business owners, like thousands of business owners had come through the programs we offer. And there’s something I always recognize and I always say it to people when they join the program. Just ask of course, when you have a question because it’s all about that speed of implementation and I recognize that people that do put their hands up and do ask, get the results quicker, obviously. Like it’s pretty obvious; kind of common sense. But the fact that you’ve mentioned it as well it doesn’t have to be, whether they do have a mentor, somebody, like a business guide or something, fantastic. And even if they don’t, just asking people, just the fact to put it out there, and as you said, most people are really happy to help. And I’m glad that that’s your experience as well.
Genie: Yeah.
Franziska: Excellent. Thank you so much Genie. Where can people find out more about you and your business? You’ve got the website…
Genie: Yes, we’ve got the websites, and our Facebook page.
Franziska: And the website is the plumcollections.com that I used? Is that correct?
Genie: That‘s right.
Franziska: And the Facebook page would be same plum collections…
Genie: Is plumbabywear
Franziska: Plumbabywear on Facebook and plumcollections.com that I definitely recommend checking it out because the stuff that you have it’s definitely very great. I love it.
Genie: Thank you very much.
Christo: Yeah, very cool and cool to know who’s behind the business. It has been awesome. Thank you. Thanks Genie.
Genie: Nice talking to you.
Franziska: That was a great interview.
Christo: That was a super cool interview.
Franziska: And Genie also just told us that she was so nervous which was so cute. I think it was her first interview, her first very important interview so she was very nervous. But I saw Genie done such an amazing job. So authentic. One of the things that I definitely like about Plum and how they market their business, their alignment and their alliance with the charity, with the not for profit organization.
It’s definitely a great marketing strategy that I often recommend to our members here at Basic Bananas so definitely if you run a small business think about how you can leverage supporting charities and non for profit organizations. Because not only are you making a difference, but it’s actually also a great marketing strategy. What do you think?
Christo: Yes, very true. Yeah, I love that decision, it was some great key learning, some great gold nuggets. The fact about just getting support when you need the support is really good. Also how she mentioned you can start your marketing, you can start for free. Even obviously how you mentioned on the interview is whether you’re investing time or money but people can definitely get rolling with those things. A really good interview and some great insights.
Franziska: Yeah. I trust you guys enjoyed too. So, what’s coming up at Basic Bananas?
Christo: At Basic Bananas, we have the very last Clever Bunch coming up starting in November and a couple of spots remaining still. It is filling up and there is applications in the pipeline but for those on the call, listeners, if you are interested in jumping on board we do have the last program starting for the year. So very exciting and we will be working with a bunch of action takers.
Franziska: Yeah, so it’s not really the last one ever but the last one for the year. So if you are keen to grow your business in 2014 then get in touch, you can just email at [email protected] or call, what’s the number here?
Christo: (02) 99937956, it’s on the website basicbananas, so enjoy, and we’re looking forward to…
Franziska: Seeing you on the next one. We have another great episode coming up shortly.
If you’d like to grow your business and give a good old kick at the butt, why not go basicbananas.com where you can download a free guide which some marketing strategies that actually work. Go to basicbananas.com and you can download your free guide right now.