MISSION VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--James Hardie awarded a check for $9,000 to the "Why I Love My Hardie Home" Video Contest winner

James Hardie Building Products, Inc. (NYSE:JHX - News), the leading provider of exterior home siding in the U.S., announced the winner of its “Why I Love My Hardie Home” video contest today, making one San Antonio, Texas family very happy. They received a $9,000 check for their winning, three-minute amateur production. The company launched the contest Aug. 31, encouraging homeowners to show off their James Hardie siding on YouTube and complete the statement, “I love my Hardie Home because…”

Source: James Hardie Building Products, Inc.
·  James Hardie awarded a check for $9,000 to the "Why I Love My Hardie Home" Video Contest winner. (Photo: Business Wire).  View Multimedia Gallery

“It’s been pretty amazing watching what ‘Hardie Homeowners’ submitted for the contest,” said Prashant Panchal, James Hardie’s Head of Marketing. “It makes us realize — as a company that manufactures a unique, branded product — that people absolutely develop emotional attachments to brands and that they are very open and enthusiastic to engage brands in social media.”

The family’s video showcased all the ways their home is protected by HardiePlank® siding. Several family members were part of the cast, including the sister-in-law, who took on the roles of wind, sun, hail, fire, (the voice of) termites — even a Freudian “house psychologist.” Mother and daughter were narrators, aided by colorful flash cards and a witty script. Finally, in a cameo, the family dog steals the ending scene.

“The video was very funny,” said Panchal, “but in the context of the humor, they hit on all the benefits provided by James Hardie fiber cement siding. Plus, when you look at their home, it really shows how beautiful the product is.”

The family was thrilled when notified they would be getting three months of mortgage payments from James Hardie. “The video took us three days of shooting and several more for my sister-in-law to edit — it was definitely an amateur effort,” said the mother. “We checked all the other great entries and I didn’t ever expect we would win. I screamed when I found out. I mean, three months of mortgage payments…that’s huge!”

The contest, supported by online media that drove consumers to the promotional microsite, is the latest iteration of a digital engagement strategy James Hardie launched this year. The company set out to accomplish a number of marketing objectives, using social media as a primary tool, but no one knew how long it would take before things like brand awareness, sales leads and customer insights would actually materialize online. It happened quickly.

“Companies spend a significant amount of money to find out what their customers are thinking,” said Panchal. “I am sure many are discovering, like we did, that in the social media space customers feel very comfortable conversing about products they like. We learn quite a bit through listening and gain even more credibility by joining the conversation.”

Southwest Exteriors (http://www.southwestexteriors.com), a James Hardie Preferred Remodeler located in San Antonio, Texas, installed the siding on the winning family’s home.

About James Hardie

James Hardie has been manufacturing building products for more than 100 years. It introduced fiber cement siding products to the U.S. in the early 90s as a durable, low-maintenance alternative to wood and vinyl. James Hardie products are engineered for climate, which provides specific performance attributes relative to the climate where the product is being used. Currently installed on over four million homes, James Hardie products have earned a favorable reputation within the industry and have been specified in some of the country’s most prestigious projects.

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for James Hardie Building Products, Inc.
Greg Young, 949-842-8454
greg.young@verticalmarketing.net