Labbrand lures Jerry Clode back to Shanghai

Clode did not reveal details of the London role, but said joining Labbrand in Shanghai at this point of his career is "simply perfect" as "they are ambitious and so am I".

Labbrand's recent opening of an office in Paris places it to offer an added level of sophistication to clients in China, he said, and reaffirms its desire to be an international research agency regardless of location.

"Quite simply, the challenges brands are facing in China are far more fundamental than elsewhere—the ultimate challenge for a researcher," he told Campaign Asia-Pacific. "I am ready, and I believe China is ready, for more innovative approaches to research. I want to push things to another level in my role".

Despite over 30 years of openness, China's market and consumer understanding is still mired in "gross stereotypes" that are not only unhelpful, but are "downright dangerous" for brands investing in the market, he added.

Most recently, Clode spent three years in Brazil, where he set up his own consultancy, called House of Jezmo, in Sao Paulo, deejayed at parties meant to rejuvenate neglected parts of the city, and got involved in a documentary film about musical collectives.

Prior to that, Clode set up the first Cultural Insight practice for Oracle Added Value in Shanghai, before moving to London to work on the agency's global offer. He also had a short stint as director of cultural insight at Spinach, also in the UK. The last time Clode was physically based in Shanghai was when he headed Flamingo's China offering in 2009.