Cultural insight agency
A cultural insight agency for brands that need to stay relevant.
Protein AGENCY has been helping globally recognised brands make sense of the world around them since 1997. Our approach has always been rooted in our proximity to culture and leveraging the collective knowledge of SEED CLUB — our decentralised research community of 500 independent strategists, journalists and curators.
Services
INSIGHT
Decoding the behaviours, tensions and shifts shaping people, culture and brands.
FORESIGHT
Predicting the signals, systems and movements set to shape what’s next.
STRATEGY
Translating insight + foresight into actionable recommendations that keep brands relevant.
Our cultural research process
1. SCAN
Review the cultural and category context surrounding a brief. Desk research, existing data, talking with experts, using our own SEED CLUB. We make sure there’s no wastage from previous research and sharpen our focus for any subsequent stages.
2. CAST
We cast over recruit. No professional respondents, just people best placed to articulate the answers to the questions we’re asking; people that have the ability to inspire teams internally because they actually have something they want to say. People we find via SEED CLUB and via our own global scouting network.
3. OBSERVE
Work with a carefully cast large group remotely. Use remote ethnographic techniques - diaries, journalistic creative tasks - and build a picture of behaviour in context (typically across a week). We keep moderation to a minimum, giving participants the space to express themselves naturally.
4. IMMERSE
Identify the most interesting people and spend time with them (in their home, work, or exploring their city). Use ethnography to observe behaviour first-hand, explore the role of place, relationships and routines, and build the trust needed to uncover deeper insights.
5. APPLY
Bring everything together through collaborative analysis, identifying key patterns, opportunities and implications from the research. Then focus on how those insights are shared across the business, using the right mix of outputs, content and experiences to ensure it’s all understood and applied.
Case studies
lululemon
Lifestyle Positioning
Helping lululemon build a global positioning for its Lifestyle category — Social+, Lounge and Outerwear — grounded in how dynamic athletes really dress, feel and express themselves.
Read case study →Nike
Future of Influence
Developed the strategy to help Nike's Global Futures team remain influential by adapting and growing alongside emerging models of influence.
Read case study →Chanel
Influence Drops
Quarterly influence drops helping Chanel's fragrance and beauty team understand what feels relevant now and next in luxury — through emergent case studies that challenge traditional ideas of influence.
Read case study →ON Running
Point2 Activation
Brought together running and creative communities through cultural programming and experiential events at Protein STUDIOS and in NYC — recreating the euphoria of the final 0.2 of a marathon.
Read case study →Jägermeister
Night Embassy
Incepted and ran Jägermeister Night Embassy — a global nightlife residency programme led by emerging talent and guided by local Creative Boards, from Berlin to Bogotá, Nairobi, Tokyo and beyond.
Read case study →Adidas
Bad Bunny Partnership Strategy
A strategic vision, partnership guidelines and manifesto — grounded in research with Bad Bunny fans and streetwear consumers — to elevate the adidas x Bad Bunny partnership.
Read case study →
What clients say
“Protein are flexible, mega experts who are very easy to work with and super professional.”
“Seamless experience from ideation to final deliverables! Super happy with the team leading this project and looking forward to working together again.”
“The quality of insights were incredibly strong. You got the balance perfect between being interesting and provocative and also giving us material that we can practically apply on projects. Look forward to collaborating again!”
“We found the final deliverable to be at the right level of detail, and the storytelling was well done to create the narrative. You were also easy to work with and professional, delivering on time and with good communication.”
Frequently asked questions
What does a cultural insight agency do?
A cultural insight agency helps brands understand the behaviours, tensions and shifts shaping people and culture, then turns that understanding into strategy. Protein AGENCY combines insight, foresight and strategy to keep brands relevant.
What services does Protein AGENCY offer?
We offer three connected services: Insight (decoding what is happening in culture now), Foresight (predicting the signals and movements shaping what's next) and Strategy (turning both into actionable recommendations for your brand).
What is your research process?
Our process has five stages: Scan, Cast, Observe, Immerse and Apply. We review the cultural context, cast real people rather than professional respondents, observe behaviour remotely, spend time with the most interesting people first-hand, then translate it all into outputs your business can use.
Who is SEED CLUB?
SEED CLUB is our decentralised research community of 500 handpicked independent strategists, journalists and curators who identify and decode cultural signals around the world.
What kind of brands and projects are a good fit?
We work best with globally recognised brands that need to stay culturally relevant, across sport, fashion, beauty, drinks and tech. Typical projects include consumer and cultural research, trend and foresight programmes, brand positioning and innovation strategy.
How long does a project take?
It depends on the brief. Focused insight projects can take a few weeks, while multi-market research and foresight programmes run longer. We shape the scope and timeline around your goals.
How do we start working together?
Get in touch through the contact form or email hello@proteinagency.com. Tell us about your brand and the challenge you're working on, and we'll come back to you to discuss how we can help.
Work with us
Looking for a cultural insight agency? Tell us about your brand and the challenge you’re working on.