Griffiths has been working in the industry for more than 25 years, spending time as a communications strategist, brand planner and qual researcher with agencies including CDP, FCB, Bates, Grey Integrated, Carlson and Planning Above and Beyond. Over that time he has worked with a host of clients including Danone, Kodak, Tesco, Intercontinental Hotels and Dorling Kindersley.

Spring said that Griffiths brings experience in developing and delivering research aimed at developing brand positioning and new product development, an area that the firm is targeting within the industry.

Also joining the firm is new managing director Catalina Cernica from Participle, a company specialising in providing creative suggestions for public sector reform, where she was the project lead for the EmployAbility contract. She was also previously managing director at Graffiti BBDO in Bucharest and president of the Romanian Advertising Agencies Association.

Steve Phillips, Spring’s founder and CEO said: “The research industry is changing and clients are demanding both a deeper understanding of what makes people tick and also better integration of research into communications and business planning. John is well known in the industry and will allow us to give clients even more creative planning thinking on the projects we do. Catalina is a proven business manager having run a successful ad agency; she will help ensure all our work has a strong business and marketing focus.”