M/I Homes won the 2021
Market Proof Award for Best Brand Focused Video for their Home Means More video. M/I Homes, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has been building homes for 40 years and builds in sixteen markets throughout the country.
Jeannine Kranchick, Marketing Communications Director for M/I Homes, said the
Home Means More video was conceived in 2020 during the pandemic when the definition of “home” meant even more to people. Jeannine and the team at M/I Homes wanted to create something that captured the emotion of the concept. M/I Homes worked together with a production team in Ohio, making sure the meaning they wanted to convey to views was portrayed in all aspects of the video, including the copy, imagery, music, and tone.
The sixty-second video focused on the fact that every home they build means something different for each buyer. They wanted to capture the positivity of building and purchasing a new home. M/I Homes listened to their customers and tried to reflect the messages they received from homebuyers through the video. The video represents some of those meanings, including home being a sanctuary, a peaceful place, and somewhere to relax, as well as a place of feeling safe and happy.
They used a combination of both organic and paid distribution. The video was played on their community pages, within their stores and model homes throughout their markets, on social media outlets, and on their YouTube channel. They also put some money behind it with Hulu ads targeted specifically to their markets. Because of the video’s success, they launched a campaign with the video and ran it throughout 2021 with supporting signage, emails, and digital campaigns.
Even though the video was created at the start of the pandemic didn’t mean it had a limited shelf life. They made sure to keep the message upbeat and evergreen. The video turned out to be the most successful video the company has ever launched with over 4.5 million views, and it is still getting views today. The fact that the video was created in 2020, ran throughout 2021, and is still relevant today is a testament that the tone struck a chord and left a lasting impact on their audience.
