E3 international agency network
  • Agency name

    Innovation Protocol

  • Year established:

    2006

  • Location, country:

    We are headquartered in Los Angeles and we have team members in six US states.

  • Number of people:

    27

  • Breakdown of staff (approx):

    Strategy: 13
    Creative: 7
    Digital: 3
    New business/marketing: 2
    Admin/finance: 2

  • Agency Leadership:

    Sasha Strauss (Founder and CEO) and Jon Cohen (President and COO)

  • Best known clients:

    Disney, Google, Amgen, University of Notre Dame, PayPal, Universal Studios Hollywood, DoorDash, Hershey’s, The Catholic Church, The Jewish Federation, Korn Ferry, Sony Pictures

  • What we’re good at:

    We specialize in foundational brand definition work. Companies often find themselves at critical inflection points in their businesses – they are scaling rapidly, they acquire competitors, they are preparing to go public, they bring in a new C-suite, they launch new products that redefine the company. In those instances, companies usually redevelop their brands and identities as part of the company respositioning, and to align their internal teams on the company’s new direction.

    That foundatianal brand creation is what we do best.

  • Average age of employees (approx.):

    32

  • Agency legends (which people have been there longest):

    We are fortunate to have quite a few long-term employees. While we are always looking for new blood, people with long tenure bring organizational knowledge and a sense of heritage. They are able to tell stories of how much the company has grown. Among our beloved legends:

    • Sasha, obviously, who started this thing 16 years ago
    • Jon Cohen, who has been here 11 years
    • Stacey Chapper, who leads our Strategy team and has been at IP 11 years
    • Matthew Muller, who leads our Design team and has been at IP 11 years
    • Mei Hadad, who leads our Finance and has been at IP 12 years
    • Jon Dufau, an Art Director who has been at IP 7 years
    • McNeal Maddox, a Strategy Director who has been at IP 7 years
  • What does everyone love about the agency?

    We’re left and right brained:

    1. We run a very data-driven, results-oriented business. We set clear, measureable goals, publish them, and hold ourselves accountable in a very transparent way.
    2. And we care deeply about our team members, and make them feel it in a million ways large and small. We know everyone’s parents’ and kids’ names, and have met most of them. We have a culture of trust and respect, and we guard that culture as a precious asset.
  • What does everyone complain about?

    We have a long-running inside joke around who can deliver the most groan-worthy puns in company meetings. It’s pure punishment… 😉

  • What agency traditions do you have?

    Hand crafted and curated Holiday Gifts to our clients, friends, and family that are filled with meaning, useability, and extra-specialness. We’ve done hand-leafed organic teas, organic local honeys, gourmet seasoning salts… and even decadent cooking oils – all agency branded, accompanied by custom made notebooks and pens, and finished off with a handwritten personal note from your project team.

  • When did you join the network?

    2019

  • Why did you join E3?

    To be able to learn from and contribute to other agency operators. This is a special world we inhabit, and we are a special breed of people. It’s important that we share with each other, and make friends with like-minded people.

  • Which other agencies have you collaborated with?

    OZ Global B2B. We partnered on a client that was making acquisitions globally, and needed a multinational brand development team. The program went incredibly well, and the client is poised to go public imminently.

  • One thing everyone gets wrong about where we live:

    We don’t all surf or skate.
    We don’t all get plastic surgery.
    We don’t all know famous people.
    Only most of us do.

  • What’s the coolest thing about Los Angeles that no one else knows about?

    Where to even begin?

    • It’s bigger than you think. There are 13MM people in the metro area, in about 90K square kilometers. You can never know the entire city – there just isn’t enough time, and it’s always changing.
    • We have more ethnic enclaves than any other city – a Koreatown, 2 Chinatowns, 2 Japantowns, a Little Ethiopia, a Thai Thown, Filipinotown, Little Armenia, Little India, and many more.
    • And Los Angeles is an outdoor activity haven – we have outstanding hiking, bike trails, beach walks, skiing/snowboarding, running routes… you name it!
  • What’s the one thing you have to do here when you visit:

    Skip the touristy stuff. Well, skip most of it. Or just do it all in a few days. Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Sign, the museums. Get through all of that.
    But then….

    • See a magic show at the Magic Castle, where the top magicians in the world do annual residencies
    • Visit the coolest bookstore you’ve ever seen, the Last Bookstore. Look it up and you’ll see why
    • Watch an outdoor movie in a cemetery called Hollywood Forever where Hollywood’s most famous names are buried.
    • Watch a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. Bring wine and share it with the people next to you.
    • Take a bus or train to Santa Barbara, or San Diego, or Tijuana Mexico, or Huntington Beach (“Surf City USA”).
    • Eat at as many of the ethnic enclaves as you can fit in.
  • Where we go after work:

    Sitting on Jon’s front lawn, in lawn chairs, with wine and/or cigars has become the hottest ticket in town. Or see any of the planet’s best bands culiminate their global tours at one of LA’s world famous concert venues (The Paladium, The Greek, The Viper Room, etc.)

  • Restaurant we take clients to:

    The Perch, which sits atop downtown LA.
    Many Korean barbecue spots, where you grill your own meat on your table (trust us on this)
    Or, if they’re celebrity-obsessed, a celebrity hangout like Spago, Catch, Dan Tana’s, Cecconi’s, Nobu.

  • Essential phrase in local language

    “How long will it take to get there?” (not what is the distance, as that is irrelevant)
    “The parking is $35??”
    “Turn on your TV – there’s a car chase!”
    “Double double, animal style, extra crispy fries.” (at In-n-Out Burger)