Dr Andrew Zhu

Founder and Director, Trace Research Ltd

Dr Andrew Zhu is the founder and director of Trace Research Ltd – a highly experienced marketing strategist (consumer/social/political) in New Zealand, who only delivers research based marketing insights and strategies. In his 12 years of professional market research career, he has completed over 180 consumer insights projects (over 70 brands) in many different industries, including

– Banking & Insurance (i.e. customer engagement measurements & acquisition- retention strategies);

– Telecommunications (i.e., customer value modelling);

– Political & Social poll (i.e., general election & Chinese immigrants polls);

– Fuel & Energy (i.e. brand trackers & advertising effectiveness);

– Tourism & Airline (i.e. destination modelling & service experience);

– International education (i.e. students well-being & acquisition strategy);

– E-commerce between New Zealand and China (i.e. Daigou, channel & content for Chinese social media) etc.

Dr Zhu has been one of the lead political pollsters (data scientist) for Newshub Reid Research Poll since 2012.  In 2017, for the first time ever, Newshub conducted 25% of its polling via the internet – aided by Trace Research and its director Dr Andrew Zhu, and the polling results were recognised as the MOST accurate one among all political polls in NZ.

Dr Zhu established the first and the largest New Zealand Chinese Immigrants Research Panel in 2016. Led by Dr Zhu, Trace Research conducted 1st Chinese Safety Perception of NZ Survey in 2016 (n=11,675), 1st Chinese New Zealanders Political Poll (WTV-Trace Chinese Poll), 1st Asian political opinion survey for New Zealand Asian Leaders, 1st Chinese Immigrants Life & Work Survey for the University of Auckland in 2017, 1st Chinese Immigrants Domestic Travel Survey, 1st Chinese Immigrants Cross-border E-commerce Survey and 1st Chinese Immigrants Air Passenger Survey in 2018.

Current affiliations with non-profit organisations:

– Trust Board Member – St John New Zealand (Northern Region)

– Member – Research Association New Zealand

– Lecturer (contract) – The University of Auckland

Past affiliations with non-profit organisations:

– Independent Principal Investigator – Plant & Food Research (Crown Institute)

– Committee Member – Beta Gamma Sigma International Society

– Research Associate – New Zealand Asia Institute

– Honorary Research Fellow – the University of Auckland Business School