Kizmo

Catherine Jones and Randall Macon of Milkshake Media gave a great presentation at UX Week last week about building brands based on community.

In addition to the Blanton Museum of Art, they described the initial creation and sustained success of the LIVESTRONG brand. What I found most interesting about this was the concept of “Intellectual Property,” which they included on a slide about campaign metrics.

We all remember a few years ago when the yellow bands were everywhere, as much a fashion accessory as a stance for the fight against cancer. When that trend died down, however, the community had been solidified. In terms of metrics, The Lance Armstrong Foundation had a new mechanism for sustaining the organization. Intangible, yet extremely powerful, the community had been established and with that the brand solidified as intellectual property.