Zafka Zhang

Current

Co-funder & Chief Strategy Officer at China Youthology (青年志)

Past

Senior Manager, Policy & Research at HiPiHi
Frontpage Senior Editor at 21st Century Business Herald

Education

School of Oriental and African Studies, U. of London
Fudan University

Connections

167 connections

Industry

Market Research

Websites

Zafka Zhang’s Summary

* Zafka leads the research in macro context and digital marketing in Youthology. He is also an expert of youth subcultures in music and art.
* He obtained two Masters in Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology in Fudan (Shanghai) and SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, Univ. of London).
* He was the senior front-page editor and columnist of China’s leading business newspaper, 21st CBH (21st Century Business Herald), focusing on in-depth reports in social, political, economic, and Internet topics. He continues to write for online/offline mainstream media (such as 21st CBH, City Pictorial and Urban China) today.
* Zafka is a pioneering digital space researcher and blogger in China, head of research team in HiPiHi (China’s virtual world platform), one of the advisors for Association of Virtual Worlds (global industry association), and a project member of Creative Commons China.
* Zafka is also an acclaimed sound artist and experimental musician in China. His art works have been published/exhibited in China, US, Europe, and Asian.

Zafka Zhang’s Experience

Co-funder & Chief Strategy Officer

China Youthology (青年志)

(Market Research industry)

July 2008 — Present (1 year 6 months)

China Youthology works on consumer insights for marketing, communication, and product design targeting the youth in China market.

Sympathizing the challenges our clients face in the fast-changing, diversified, complex, uniquely ‘remixed’ youth market in China, Youthology believes that Chinese youth can only be fully understood (and hence satisfied) on the basis of a holistic understanding of the youth as human beings (rather than merely consumers) with full-hearted, long-term, immersive dedication.

China youthology approaches consumer insights at 1) the historical and ongoing macro context (economic, social, cultural), 2) the major youth communities of music, sports, fashion, gaming, technology, art&literature, social volunteer, etc. and 3) individual level (with integrated understanding of online and offline experience); methods employed include ethnographic research and quantitative validation.
Senior Manager, Policy & Research

HiPiHi

(Information Technology and Services industry)

March 2007 — December 2008 (1 year 10 months)

industry & product strategy research; evangelist
Frontpage Senior Editor

21st Century Business Herald

(Newspapers industry)

October 2004 — March 2007 (2 years 6 months)

“The 21st Century Business Herald” is the China’s leading business newspaper. My works focused on in-depth reports spanning the domains of finance, political economy to Internet industry in China.

Zafka Zhang’s Education

School of Oriental and African Studies, U. of London

Master , Political Studies , 2003 — 2004
Fudan University

Master , Public Administration , 2000 — 2003