Griffiths' appointment is effective immediately. He joins Ogilvy's consumer insights and trends unit Discovery, focusing on interpreting China's social and cultural dynamics to create more effective creative work for clients.
He will be responsible for leading ethnographic and qualitative research for the team, connect with academics in China and around the world and provide research support to discipline heads and Ogilvy clients.
Initially, his efforts will focus on studying enviromentally sustainable practices of consumption, analysis of the domestic car industry and Chinese consumers' saving and invesment behaviour.
On his appointment, Griffiths said, "Working at Ogilvy represents a fantastic opportunity to put my knowledge, skills and experience to work in the business world."
Kunal Sinha, executive director of Discovery, added he is confident Griffiths will make the transition from an academic environment with ease.
Griffiths is fluent in Mandarin and holds a PHD from the National Institute of Chinese Studies at the University of Leeds. He recently relocated to Shanghai from Anshan in Northern China where he studied migrant workers. His experiences were recently published in the Journal of Current Chinese Affairs.
Sinha recently won WPP’s Atticus Grand Prix for a third time for his entry titled 'Unmasking the Chinese Consumer'.
