Imagination Australia Appoints Laurel Cook As Strategy Director

Why It Matters

Cook’s expertise elevates Imagination’s strategic capability, positioning the agency to win higher‑margin, insight‑centric work in a competitive experience‑design market.

Key Takeaways

• Imagination Australia grew 30% in 2025
• Won Campaign and Australian Event Awards Agency of Year
• Laurel Cook joins as strategy director
• Former Curiious chief customer officer leads insight team
• New standalone strategy service adds direct commercial value

Pulse Analysis

The appointment of Laurel Cook reflects a broader shift in the experience‑design sector, where agencies are moving beyond production‑focused models toward integrated strategy services. Clients increasingly demand data‑driven insights that translate into compelling narratives, and Cook’s background—spanning consulting, agency leadership, and immersive technology—positions Imagination to meet that demand. By embedding a dedicated strategy function within its senior leadership, the firm can streamline the translation of consumer truth into creative concepts, reducing the lag between insight generation and execution.

Imagination’s recent 30% growth and dual Agency of the Year accolades signal strong market momentum, but sustaining that trajectory requires more than creative flair. The new standalone strategy offering promises direct commercial value, allowing clients to purchase strategic guidance without committing to full‑scale project delivery. This modular approach aligns with the growing preference for agile, outcome‑based engagements, where measurable ROI is a prerequisite for budget allocation. Cook’s experience at Curiious, an immersive‑tech platform, also adds a technology‑forward perspective that can help Imagination integrate AR, VR, and mixed‑reality experiences into client strategies.

For the broader industry, Cook’s hire underscores the premium placed on narrative insight as a catalyst for business transformation. As brands grapple with fragmented consumer attention, the ability to craft stories rooted in authentic data becomes a competitive differentiator. Imagination’s emphasis on collaborative teams—where strategists, designers, and producers work side‑by‑side—mirrors best‑practice models that break down silos and accelerate time‑to‑market. In this context, Cook’s role is not merely an internal appointment but a signal that strategic storytelling will continue to drive growth and client loyalty across the experience‑design landscape.