Independent PR and creative agency, Keep Left, has made several key promotions with its strategy team in a bid to bridge the gap between earned and creative capabilities.

The agency has promoted Laura Agricola into the role of Strategy Director, leading a team that includes Behavioural Strategist Harris Galloway and Comms and Culture Strategist Zach Edwards.

Agricola has more than 15 years of experience in creative agencies, joining Keep Left as Senior Brand Strategist in 2021.

In her new role, she will be tasked with leading a team that has been 'strategically assembled' to act as Keep Left's superpower.

"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," said Agricola

Galloway, who joined Keep Left in 2021 while completing a Master of Applied Psychology, brings a deep understanding of consumer behaviour to the team.

“We've shifted our 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, a digital native who also joined Keep Left in 2021 as a Digital Planner, has a broad view of trends and subcultures.

"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," said Edwards.

The team will work across the agency's clients in Melbourne and Sydney.

"Ideas need to earn their place and have the power to multiply. That means harnessing everyone in our audiences' sphere of influence, from journalists to celebrities, government authorities and local communities. Simply bolting on earned and PR to support creative or treating them as a separate stream to advertising reduces cut-through. The strategy needs to be aligned across disciplines from the get-go which is the driving force behind the make-up of our strategy team," said Agricola.