Independent creative and PR agency Keep Left has revealed a redefined strategy team with several promotions, with the aim of bridging the gap between earned and creative.
Strategy director Laura Agricola steps up to lead the team following three years with the agency as a senior brand strategist. She has more than 15 years of experience working for creative agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi in Australia and Crispin Porter + Bogusky in the US.
Agricola said the strategy team has been "strategically assembled" to act as Keep Left's superpower.
"I come from a traditional advertising background – where creative strategy informs how to sell products, services, and brands – yet our client list also spans cultural and social institutions that are looking to inform behaviour change. This requires a broader approach," she said.
Agricola is joined by Harris Galloway, behavioural strategist and Zach Edwards, comms and culture strategist.
Effective strategy demands a deep understanding of exactly how brands need to show up to be chosen, said Agricola.
"Psychology and culture underpin that. They are co-dependent, yet each is a niche. I'm not interested in being an armchair expert – I want the support of brains that are always plugged in to give us a complete picture of what sits at the intersection of brand, people and culture," she said.
Galloway joined Keep Left in 2021 while completing a Master of Applied Psychology. He brings a deep knowledge of consumer behaviour and a passion for unpacking cognitive biases.
Galloway said the agency has shifted its mindset to embrace the proposition Ideas People Choose, constantly asking, 'Would our audience willingly choose this, or would we have to force them to pay attention?'.
"It's a high bar. To reach it, we have to know the people we are talking to intimately which is where the role of Behavioural Strategist comes in," he said.
Edwards also joined Keep Left in 2021 as a digital planner. He has a firm finger on the pulse with a broad view of trends and subcultures.
Edwards said strategies immersed in culture – whether digital, physical, or social – make people move.
"They change how we think, feel, or behave. We all crave belonging and life experiences. Only by delving deep into what motivates our audiences, what shapes their views, and who they admire, can we craft compelling work that resonates," he said.
The trio works with the agency's clients across Melbourne and Sydney.
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