In early May 2009, All-China Women's Federation, China Women’s Development Foundation, Shandong Women's Federation, Jinan City Women's Federation, Zhangqiu City Women's Federation and well-known international lingerie enterprise, Embry Group, launched a massive charity campaign entitled "With Love to Impoverished Mothers". Embry Group donated RMB2 million worth of materials to All-China Women's Federation in a sincere expression of care and support for women living in poverty. Embry Group’s CEO, Ms. Liza Cheng, gave exclusive interviews to journalists at the Embry Zhangqiu Industrial Park or "Beauty Project" as it is known, expounding Embry's unique brand culture and philosophy of giving.

Ms. Liza Cheng explained why Embry Group focuses its charitable activities on women living in poverty, saying if companies "are motivated by love, believe in the power of persistence and work in their areas of expertise they can make an even greater contribution ".

In The Name of Beauty - Connecting Consumers and Embry

In recent years, European, American, Japanese and Korean lingerie brands have poured into the China market, intensifying competition and resulting in greater and greater product homogenization. Ms. Cheng stated that "Consumers are influenced more and more by brand charisma, so Embry uses the idiom of "Beauty" to communicate with consumers." By emphasizing brand construction, marketing planning, rich brand content, and unique brand positioning, Embry has maintained its foothold in the mainland market and continued to expand its market share.

Ms. Cheng stated that Embry stresses the beauty of harmony, physical well-being and comfort, and the graceful elegance born of inner contentment. Beauty that focuses simply on sexy appeal at the cost of health and comfort is something that Embry disapproves. Comfort is the hallmark of Embry products and the result of its unique corporate vision and single-minded pursuit of excellence. Embry always upholds the people-oriented concept of “Underwear Expert”, promoting underwear culture and esthetic awareness while marketing products, and emphasizes experiential marketing that combines terminal sales and the dissemination of underwear knowledge. All these factors have helped to distinguish Embry from its numerous national and international competitors.

"We regularly hold lingerie salons, fashion talks and other promotional activities to build bridges between our products and consumers," Ms. Cheng said. "Embry will continue to expand its range of top-quality lingerie products and optimize services within a corporate culture devoted to 'supplying demand, creating value' and the 'endless pursuit of excellence', so that our brand keeps pace with rapid changes affecting women lives."

Putting Health First - One-of-a-Kind Patents That Provide Comfort and Elegance

When asked about Embry Form's focus on healthy, elegant lingerie, Ms. Cheng expressed her deep concern for women's health: "Over the past 10 years, the rate of breast cancer in China has risen 37% and is now one of the biggest health problems faced by women. Besides stressing elegance, as a lingerie enterprise Embry has always advocated the concept of "healthy" lingerie, integrating 3D steel rings, intelligent shoulder straps, breathable cups, unique u-shaped ultra-low cut underwear, supportflex and other patented technologies into our products to promote healthy dressing." Embry is not just concerned with the external enhancement that lingerie provides, it is also most concerned about the comfort it affords and its ability to enhance a woman's health, by fitting to her shape and being in harmony with her body. Women's health and comfort are unshakeable principles of Embry’s research and development. Embry intends to exploit its advantage so that more women can enjoy and experience for themselves the intimate care provided by its specialist products.

Ms. Cheng knows that all women want healthy breasts. The incidence of breast cancer has risen sharply as the pace of life has intensified and the use of hormones and drugs has become more ubiquitous. In the 30 - 54 age bracket in particular, breast cancer is now the biggest enemy of women’s health. Selecting the right lingerie is essential as it provides breasts with round-the-clock comfort and support. Guided by its concern for women's health and comfort, Embry produces brassieres that instill harmony in a woman's body, using unique patented technologies to "fashion elegant lingerie as well as a healthy life for women".

The Power of Love - Over 10 Years of Continuous Giving

Addressing Embry's history of charitable giving, Ms. Cheng pointed out that Embry Group has always taken its social responsibilities very seriously. Since the 1990s, Embry has become even more active, establishing a long term partnership with Women's Federation, launching the "Warmth Project" directed at improving women's health and providing financial assistance to various charitable enterprises. Embry has been one of the first responders during the 2006 Fujian flood, the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and other disasters, donating millions of RMB in materials and providing practical assistance to groups in need of help.

Furthermore, "Following the completion and official opening of the first phase development of Embry Shandong Industrial Park in Zhengqiu City in 2008, we conducted a thorough investigation of local living conditions. We now understand the pressures that affect the lives of poor women living in many areas of Shandong that often cause them to neglect themselves," Ms. Cheng said. "In 2008, we contacted the All-China Women's Federation, China Women's Development Foundation, Shandong Women's Federation and other organizations to donate materials worth millions of RMB to women living in poverty in Shandong. Embry hoped to express its concern for them in this way."

When asked about their current project, Ms. Cheng explained that as Mother's Day is approaching, Embry Group would be making another donation of goods worth RMB2 million to the China Women's Development Foundation to assist women living in poverty, contributing in its own small way to the development of women's services. By supporting this kind of ongoing charitable activity Embry hopes to spread its care for women far and wide.

Ms. Cheng emphasized that Embry seeks to help people in dire need and avoid unwanted gratuity. Embry seeks to provide real care, not just cursory salutations. Ongoing and consecutive implementation is essential for generating significant results.

"Our rule is to do what we can and not throwing money at causes to grab attention, even if our work goes completely unrecognized. We will continue to do this, as long as we are benefitting needy groups and providing real help in emergencies - that's the real point of doing charity work after all." To date, Embry has donated over RMB5 million to various causes, taking a pragmatic and sincere approach to charity that is to be commended.

Charity From The Heart - True Charity Asks No Reward

When asked how charity can be more effective, Ms. Cheng indicated that charitable giving is a long-term undertaking, and that support to vulnerable groups can only be optimized when it is provided on an ongoing and consecutive basis. Moreover, "Embry is focused on utilizing its industry know-how in its charitable work, using its strengths to help vulnerable groups. Only by working in one's own area of expertise one can make a more extensive and substantive contribution." Only when a group's requirements are really considered and understood can more effective and suitable support be provided. With over 30 years of experience and research, Embry has developed an extensive knowledge of the female form, as well as a deep understanding of women's needs, including their physiological and psychological requirements. As a result, Embry places a greater emphasis on feelings and compassion in its dealings with women's groups, which is something Embry knows a lot about - listening and providing support to others in a spirit of love, which is, in fact, one of the essential goals of charitable work.

Ms. Cheng briefly addressed the issue of using charity to boost earnings, saying, "We seek nothing in return. We simply feel that this is something that our Company should do. The growth of our business depends on public support, so we have a responsibility to give back as much as we can. Just seeing a smile on the face of someone we have helped is all the satisfaction we need. It makes us feel that our perseverance is worthwhile and is an endless source of motivation for our charitable work."

Embry's approach to charitable giving involves doing the things a company should do, shouldering its social responsibilities, taking the initiative, making high quality products that are of benefit to consumers and doing things that are of benefit to society. Such wholehearted actions are indicative of the core values that motivate a company's charitable giving. Just as people communicate to come to an understanding, so a company's charitable work is a process of communication, and the trust and support it builds up is strong and long-lasting. Acting according to one’s ability, doing good without expectation of a return, fully assuming and carrying out social responsibilities, devoting energy to reciprocate public support, caring for women and caring for vulnerable groups all reflect a company's value to society. The sincere and pragmatic values exemplified by Embry have received widespread approval and support, a fact that can be inferred from its stable market share and excellent brand reputation.

Pursuing the Greater Good - It's Not Just About Donations

Finally, on our visit to the factory for the donation ceremony, we learned that the Embry Zhangqiu Industrial Park or "Beauty Project" as it is known, is in fact a green energy environmental project. The park displays an advanced awareness of energy conservation and environmental protection that is most commendable. For instance, the facility uses ground source heat pumps and energy-saving building integration technologies, its heating and cooling systems employ the renewable resources of geothermal energy and also nationally approved "ground source heat pump central air-conditioning systems", reducing energy consumption by 70%, over 40% more efficient than traditional air-conditioning systems, as well as reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other atmospheric pollutants. Intelligent eco-friendly operating systems keep the park warm in winter and cool in summer, striking a balance between society and nature.

As far as Embry is concerned, actions that benefit the public, society and the environment all contribute to the common good. Donating to mothers in distress and helping vulnerable groups living in poverty is one way of expressing concern and contributing to the common good, but it is not the only way. The concept of common good championed by Embry Group is that of the greater good and includes all things that are of benefit to society. Embry continues to produce products that are of benefit to women's health and was the first garment company to release a range of eco-friendly textile products because it wishes to uphold the principle of healthy living in the marketplace and promote the cause of public health. Constructing factories in different areas is not just part of Embry’s market strategy; the Company also wished to create job opportunities locally, promote the local economy and benefit society more generally. Embry jumped at the opportunity to invest in and construct the environmentally friendly Shandong Industrial Park with the aim of better protecting the environment and conserving energy, creating harmony between society and nature, achieving sustainable development of nature and industry, and leaving behind a beautiful environment for our children and descendants, all of which serve to demonstrate their commitment to the natural environment. In short, Embry's definition of the common good pertains to individuals, society and nature as a whole.

Embry has reinterpreted charitable work to mean seeking the greater good, caring for women, caring for society and caring for the natural environment, a definition that fully reflects the Company's strong sense of social responsibility and which is sure to win Embry strong support into the future.