In the newly created role Griffiths (pictured) will work within the Discovery insights and trends business unit, which focuses on interpreting China’s social and cultural dynamics to help create more relevant and creative work for clients.

Academic Griffiths comes to the firm fresh from a spell working in a ‘hotpot’ restaurant in the northern Chinese town of Anshan where he sought to better understand migrant workers. His findings were recently published in the Journal of Current Chinese Affairs.

At Ogilvy he will initially focus on several studies that cover a range of topics including an analysis of the Chinese car industry, attitudes to environmentally sustainable consumption practices and a look at how people in the country handle their savings and investments.

Discovery executive director Kunal Sinha said: “Michael is really interested in the market application of his work, which led him to our doors. I’m sure that he will adapt to our business environment from an academic one with the same consummate ease and and sensitivity that he did when he moved from the UK to China.”