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ABH1 and Ofd2 are human and Schizosaccharomyces pombe members of the 2-oxyglutarate-iron(II)-dependent dioxygenase family respectively. Little is known about these proteins, and no substrates for them have been identified. Using positionally addressable synthesis of peptides on a cellulose membrane (SPOT synthesis) random peptide libraries were generated. These were screened with ABH1 and Ofd2 using a 2-oxoglutarate turnover assay, to generate preferred sequence motifs. The motifs were searched against protein databases to create a list of potential substrates. The potential substrates were tested both for binding and activity. Several highly active peptides were systematically mutated in an attempt to further define the preferred motifs. These sequence preferences were used to conduct another search of the protein databases. Ultimately none of the sequences studied could be confirmed as substrates, however, refinement of the technique used could produce a viable method of identifying unknown substrates.

Purpose: The study aims to explore the relationship between corporate heritage design, augmented role identities and customer behaviour towards the well-known traditional London taxi. The study scrutinises whether the city and national role identities of London black cab positively resonate among the traditional London taxi users. Furthermore, the study examines if corporate heritage design plays a moderator role in the relationship between its perceived identities and user experience. Design/methodology/approach: This study is a deductive, case study based on positivist research philosophy. Before the main research, augmented identities of the traditional London cab revealed based on initial research with the secondary data. Then, a conceptual framework developed through the relevant literature. Various hypotheses were proposed via the conceptual framework. To test the proposed hypotheses, the research adopted an online survey research method to collect the required data. Surveys were collected via social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. At the end of the data collection process, as a sample of 523 clean survey responses were received. Results: The data were analysed by using SPSS and Structural Equation Modelling software SPSS AMOS. Within the context of traditional London taxi, data analysis validated the saliency of both city and national role identity for customer satisfaction. In addition to that, the analysis confirmed the significance of corporate heritage design on customer perceptions and responses of multiple identities (Corporate ID, City Role ID, and National Role ID) attached to the London black cab. Originality/value: This study differentiates by exploring the antecedents and impacts of corporate heritage design. On top of that, the notion city role identity and its effects are introduced to extend the understanding of corporate heritage. The conceptual framework confirms the moderation of corporate heritage design on the relationship between corporate identity, city role identity, and national role identity and customer experience. The study also identifies the antecedents of corporate heritage design (Continuity, Familiarity, Functionality, and Aesthetic). Managerial Implications: The study shows that corporate heritage design is an essential tool to communicate added identities such as national and city identity. Companies acquiring corporate heritage design should maintain those unique design elements whilst updating their products or service to satisfy customers’ modern needs. The study also suggests that companies attributed to other identities (e.g. social, territorial, cultural etc.) could increase the customer experience and satisfaction via revealing and communicating those augmented role identities. Lastly, like the traditional London cab, certain corporate heritage assets could become a symbol of a city or territory. Hence city administrators should also consider protecting those corporate heritage symbols to promote and differentiate the cities.

Purpose: Derived from the corporate heritage brand theory, this research studies Beijing Dashilar Culture Heritage Street - one of the most famous culture streets in China. It intellectualises and addresses the crucial elements of corporate culture heritage street brand identity such as architecture and design, tourist convenience and traditional goods and services, which is supporting heritage brand identity theory by confirming the effect of key traits: symbol, design and style as well as product or service focus. Moreover, it proves the effect of corporate heritage brand experience of Dashilar visitors by which corporate culture heritage street brand identity towards to overall tourism satisfaction. This study also investigates the relationship between corporate culture heritage street brand identity and tourism satisfaction. Finally, it creatively establishes the moderating elements in these relationships, which are psychological cognitive awareness of history and culture. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual research framework of corporate culture heritage street brand identity is developed from the literature review and pilot research analysis of secondary comments from well-known online platform TripAdvisor. Further semi-structured in-depth interviews were performed with volunteered participants who have actual Dashilar visiting experience for the research validity enhancement and questionnaire design. The main research method approach of this study is quantitative questionnaire survey which is adapted to examine the conceptual framework. To assuring the authenticity of this study, the the paper-based questionnaire survey was accomplished in Dashilar area in Beijing, China. In total, 654 questionnaires were collected, among which 609 valid questionnaires were used to test the hypotheses of this study. Findings: The data analysis results confirm the significant role of heritage brand identity on achieving and maintaining tourism satisfaction of a culture heritage street in China. This study finds that dimensions of corporate heritage brand identity such as symbol, design and style as well as product or services focus are actively empowering the corporate heritage brand identity. Additionally, this research reveals that corporate heritage street brand identity dimensions influence corporate heritage brand experience positively. Finally, history and culture awareness are essential to strengthen the relationship between culture heritage street brand identity and heritage brand experience, while positive heritage brand experience is the key to enhance tourism satisfaction. Originality/value: This is one of pioneer studies that researches on corporate heritage brand and tourism interdisciplinary with unique perspective considering culture heritage street as a corporate heritage brand. This is one of few groundbreaking studies advances the corporate heritage brand identity theory with a conceptual framework, which confirms the corporate heritage brand identity dimensions and their effects on heritage brand experience and tourism satisfaction. This study, additionally, clarified the moderation effect of psychological cognitive awareness (history and culture) and physical heritage band identity dimensions on the relationship between culture heritage street brand identity and heritage brand experience as well as tourism satisfaction. Managerial implications: The study acknowledged culture heritage street tourism potential for its sustainable development, which broadens the strategic vision of culture heritage management public institutions or enterprises. Moreover, illuminated culture heritage street brand identity dimensions in this study provide the further improvement directions (such as the use of symbol, design and style uniqueness development or authentic product and service orientation) for management strategy on achieving and maintaining the tourism satisfaction through brand experience development. The significance of history and culture awareness of culture heritage streets plays an important strategic role during the marketing communication and brand development of these streets with culture heritage.

Purpose: This research studies the relationship between corporate heritage brand identity and customer satisfaction of John Lewis Partnership (JLP) which is one of the most successful British retail heritage brands internationally. It conceptualizes and addresses the key factors of corporate heritage brand identity including brand price, quality, design, and symbol. It examines the corporate heritage brand experience of JLP customers through which corporate heritage brand identity influences customer satisfaction. It also establishes the moderating role of brand innovation, word of mouth and multiple time dimensions on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual framework of corporate heritage brand identity is developed from the literature review. To improve the validity of this study, semi-structured interviews were carried out with JLP managers, senior partners and their loyal customers recommended by JLP. These interviews have verified and advanced the hypotheses informed from the reviewed literature. This study mainly adopts the quantitative survey research method approach to test the conceptual framework. An online questionnaire was sent to JLP customers through social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Off-line paper-based survey questionnaires were collected from customers in JLP stores located in five cities in the UK (London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester and Southampton). In total, a sample of 596 clean questionnaire responses were collected and used for this study to test the developed hypotheses. Findings: Data analysis results have confirmed the dynamic and essential role of heritage brand identity on attaining and sustaining customers' satisfaction of a corporate heritage brand from the retailing industry in the UK. The results revealed that corporate heritage brand identity dimensions (price, quality, design and symbol) are effective in representing the strength of corporate heritage brand identity. The confirmed that the dimensions of the corporate heritage brand identities of this study are indicating positive impacts on corporate heritage brand experience according to the data analysis results. The findings also suggest that these brand experience dimensions (sensory, affective, behavioural and intellectual) have a positive influence on improving customer satisfaction. Additionally, brand innovation and the time stream in this study strengthens the relation between corporate heritage brand identity and corporate heritage brand experience. Furthermore, word of mouth and the prospect future of a corporate heritage brand are of significance to improve customers' satisfaction through positive heritage brand experience. Originality/value: This is one of the few attempts to develop a conceptual framework of corporate heritage brand identity. The conceptual framework has confirmed the multiple dimensions of corporate heritage brand identity (including brand price, quality, design and symbol) and their impact on customers' experience and satisfaction. This study also identified the moderating role of brand innovation, word of mouth and multiple time dimensions on the relationships between corporate heritage brand identity and customers' experience and satisfaction. This is one of the first attempts to study corporate heritage branding management in the retailing industry sector. Managerial implications: The corporate heritage brand identity dimensions identified from this study have the potential to help brand managers develop and augment their corporate heritage brand management strategy, especially for the retailing industry as revealed in this study. Marketers and brand managers need to be aware of their corporate heritage brand treats such as price, quality, design and symbol to satisfy and sustain their customers. The findings reflect the importance of sustaining the traits of corporate heritage brand and being responsive and innovative to the market on time. Additionally, the fundamental function of Word of Mouth (WOM) in extending the communication channels between a brand and customers. The findings confirmed that Time Streams have a central role in demonstrating the identity and sustainability of a corporate heritage brand.

Celebrity endorsement has received academic attention since the 1970s and it has widely been used by companies in their marcom (marketing communications) activities as an effective strategic tool to promote their brands, companies, products and services. Instead of only being appointed as endorsers, this new phenomenon sees how celebrities have changed their roles as human brands and are now better known as celebrity brands. Celebrities, as they are known today, are progressively becoming brands in their own right (i.e. celebrity brand), have their own value, owning their own products and/or services and businesses/companies (i.e. corporate brand), and endorsing other corporate brands too. Companies use celebrity endorsements to position and communicate their individual/product brand image to consumers at large. However, due to the changing marketing environment (from traditional to digital marketing), companies are finding that their communication through celebrity endorsements have become costly and less efficient when trying to project a coherent corporate image and reputation across various audiences. Rather, the new trending phenomenon of celebrity chefs may achieve the desired effect. Unlike other human brands such as CEOs, athletes or artists, which roles limit to either personal or corporate roles, celebrity chefs are unique as they encompass both. Furthermore, they also endorse other brands and corporate brands simultaneously, enabling them to project their own personal and corporate brand as well as the brand they are endorsing. Hence, this study's novelty lies in the exploration and development of the celebrity chef concept at both the product and corporate brand level of their 'own' and 'endorsed' activities (termed as celebrity corporate brand or CCB in this study); and operationalises the CCB concept. The study aims to investigate whether a change in the celebrity brand roles by addressing both traits (human personality) and states (brand personality) and by associating it at the corporate brand level, given the best contextual setting, is one of the possible ways to strategically use celebrity brand beyond endorsement in marcom activities. The study has three objectives, which are: 1) to explore the concept of celebrity brand at a corporate brand level, known as Celebrity Corporate Brand - CCB; 2) to investigate the impact of CCB on attitudinal (identification, image and reputation) and behavioural (loyalty) outcomes (termed as corporate brand enhancement); and 3) to develop a holistic conceptual model to understand the consumers attitudinal and behavioural response and association impact of celebrity brand at corporate brand level named as Celebrity Corporate Brand Association Impact on Corporate Brand Enhancement Model. A mixed method approach was employed by using qualitative data (netnography - Study1; and in depths interviews - Study 2) as well as quantitative data (population-based survey experiments - Study 3). A qualitative approach is used to explore the concept and dimensions of CCB, which is later used to assist the items and measure development for Study 3. Data collection was done covering samples selection from the United Kingdom and Malaysia. Random sampling is used to select respondents that fulfilled the criteria required for the study. The study finds that CCB represents and carries his Personal Brand, Product/Service Brand and Corporate Brand. CCB Product Brand refers to the celebrity chefs own developed products and services which are their foods, cookbooks, kitchen utensils. CCB Corporate Brand refers to the celebrity chefs' businesses, corporations and companies such as their restaurants, colleges and programs. CCB is further conceptualised through the CCB's Authentic and Functional Quality, CCB's Cognition and CCB's Personal Quality. The CCB's Philosophy also projects the celebrity's own corporate brand and endorsed activities. CCB Personal Brand refers to the celebrity chefs' traits such as their interpersonal skills and quality, symbolic value and authenticity; and their and their personality states such as enterprising and technical quality. Theoretically, the research is novel in four different ways: 1) it offers a fresh insight to scholars and practitioners in celebrity endorsement, human or celebrity brand, into how to address the new phenomena of changing consumer and celebrity roles by going beyond the celebrity endorsement concept (i.e. via CCB); 2) it explores, develops, defines and provides measures for the newly developed CCB concept; and 3) it extends the nascent literature on celebrity brand, which explores mainly at product brand level, to corporate brand level (celebrity with personal brand also owning corporate brand), and 4) it test CCB empirically and further investigates its relationship in terms of both attitudinal and behavioural outcomes in an effort to enhance corporate brand (corporate brand enhancement process). Previously, studies on celebrity endorsement only look at the use of celebrity as an endorser and discussion in this area is made based on the Source Model which only discusses the personality traits of the celebrities. In addressing the changing roles of celebrities (having personal brands, product brands and corporate brands), this study defines CCB by including both the celebrity brand personality traits and states and researching its impact on corporate brand enhancement. Furthermore, this study looks at both the attitudinal and behavioural outcome of the CCB on multiple stakeholders (celebrities, consumers and endorsed corporate brands). Methodologically, the study contributes in three ways: (1) a new context (celebrity chefs) is chosen to add new insights to celebrity branding literature; (2) approaching the research with three different studies, namely Study 1- netnography; Study 2 - in depths interviews; and Study 3 - population-based survey experiments; and (3) the inclusion of multiple stakeholders as the samples. Practically, the study proposes marketers to select a new type of celebrity: one that has a personal brand of their own, own product and/or corporate brand to increase the promotional marketing campaign success. Thus, both parties need to work together to build upon their brand strategy to ensure that the consumer identifies closely with them, thereby enhancing their image and reputation and subsequently increasing brand loyalty to the advantage of both parties. Interestingly, once CCB has built upon reputation, this guides the business and marketers to carefully select them in the hope of enhancing its corporate brand. The study's findings also demonstrate that it is essential to address various audiences in this new era by designing an appropriate positioning and communication strategy. The results will assist businesses and organisations in the context of defining and developing strategy alongside celebrity chefs (as the CCB) with their businesses and the endorsed corporate brands.

This thesis informed by a single case study and adopting a multi-internal stakeholder perspective of a middle-ranked and London-based Business School, constitutes an explanatory investigation of the corporate identity, architecture, identification triad and their antecedents. The dissertation draws on social identity and attribution theories. This doctoral research focuses on a contemporary phenomenon within a real-life context. Based on the multi-disciplinary approach, the research generated four empirical insights; (i) a favourable Business School corporate identity has a commensurate influence on architecture; (ii) a favourable Business School corporate identity has a commensurate influence on stakeholders; (iii) a favourable Business School architecture increases identification with the Business School; and (iv) specifically, a favourable Business School corporate identity impacts on the Business School architecture on five dimensions. This study resulted in the introduction of a validated conceptual framework and the resultant theoretical framework details the corporate identity, architecture and identification dynamic as it pertains to a middle ranking Business School. The research is significant in that although corporate identity, architecture, and identification have been acknowledged as a significant area of research in marketing, corporate identity and design literatures, their relationships have remained vague. Extant studies lack a firm theoretical underpinning. As such, this thesis makes a theoretical contribution to our understanding of the corporate identity, architecture, and identification triad. A survey-based single case study research design marshalling explanatory research involving data collection comprised semi-structured interviews, focus groups and a collection of visual data in the preliminary stage of this research. This along with a review of the literature informed the conceptual framework. The conceptual framework was examined via the insights from 309 questionnaires. Structural equation modelling with AMOS was conducted to again insight into the various influences and relationships in relation to the corporate identity, architecture and identification triad. Most of the hypotheses underpinning the conceptual framework were confirmed apart from 1 which was an unexpected relationship between corporate visual identity and symbolic artifacts/decor and 3 unexpected relationships between the philosophy, mission and value and architecture components. Management implications from this research are as follows: (i) corporate identity should be managed strategically, and should be in alignment with the identity elements (company’s corporate an entity’s visual identity, communication, and philosophy, mission and value); (ii) an entity’s architecture should be managed strategically, and should be in alignment with other visual identity elements (decor and artifacts/symbolic artifacts, spatial layout and functionality/physical structure, and ambient conditions/physical stimuli); (iii) corporate identity/architecture gap should be constantly and carefully managed; (iv) architecture/identification (emotional attachment) gap should be regularly monitored. Moreover, this thesis provides policy/management recommendations to multiple substantive areas in higher education in the UK. In other words, a clear understanding of the dimensions of the relevant concepts can assist managers in policy development to develop a coherent policy for managing favourable corporate identity and architecture which can influence stakeholders’ identification. In addition, the findings of this study may support and shape business policy.

The aim of this study is to make a theoretical contribution vis-à-vis the main determinants of international student identification with a middle ranking business school corporate brand. The findings of this study are of foundational significance in theory building terms. A substantive theory of international postgraduate student identification in UK middle ranking business school corporate brands is introduced. This theory was found to be underpinned by five attractiveness dimensions: brand similarity, brand distinctiveness, association with a metropolitan city brand, country brand and university physical campus. The findings showed that brand similarity, brand distinctiveness, association with a metropolitan city brand, country brand and university physical campus are the main corporate brand identification dimensions of international postgraduate students – in terms of attractiveness – of a middle ranked business school (Brunel Business School). Whilst the tuition fees were a constituent part of the initial theoretical framework, this variable was not shown to have a significant effect on middle ranking business school corporate brand attractiveness. The findings also showed that brand distinctiveness and the country brand had a direct positive effect on international postgraduate student identification. Moreover, brand similarity, brand distinctiveness, metropolitan city brand, country brand and university physical campus affect international postgraduate student identification indirectly through the mediating effect of middle ranking business school corporate brand attractiveness. Whereas the effects of brand distinctiveness and country brand on international postgraduate student identification are partially mediated, and the effect of metropolitan city brand is fully mediated, tuition fees have an inverse, unmediated effect on international postgraduate student identification. A test of alternative moderating effect showed that the effects of brand similarity, brand distinctiveness, association with a metropolitan city brand, country brand, university physical campus and tuition fees on international student corporate brand identification were not moderated by the effect of middle ranking business school corporate brand attractiveness. This study – focusing on a middle ranking business school corporate brand, internationalisation/international marketing– appears to be the first of its kind. It is one of the first attempts to provide a theoretical undertaking regarding the main determinants of international student identification with a middle ranking business school corporate brand. The instrumental contributions of this study stress the efficacy of business school managers in focusing on corporate brand building and corporate brand communication activities. Whilst the statistical generalisability of the findings generated from a single case study is limited, the insights are analytically generalisable.

Positioned within the corporate marketing domain, and adopting an explicit managerial perspective, this doctoral thesis advances knowledge in the form of a substantive and analytically generalisable theory of corporate heritage identity stewardship, which is derived from an empirical, theory-building, qualitative case study of Great Britain’s oldest brewer. In broad terms, corporate heritage identity stewardship theory articulates the particular management requirements of a corporate heritage identity in terms of two mutually constitutive dimensions namely (a) stewardship mindset and (b) enactment. Stewardship mindset refers to a shared awareness amongst management (i.e. positionality, heritage, and custodianship awareness) underpinned by specific managerial dispositions to feel, think, and act (i.e. sense of continuance, belongingness, self, heritage, responsibility, and potency). Enactment refers to the multi-modal implementation (i.e. narrating, visualising, performing, and embodying) of a corporate heritage identity and its relational positioning visà-vis stakeholders (i.e. temporal, spatial, and socio-cultural anchoring), which at once is predicated on and reinforces the stewardship mindset. The theoretical contribution of this study is significant in that it empirically confirms the existing, largely conceptual, literature in terms of the applicability and efficacy of the nascent corporate heritage identity construct per se. More importantly, it expands the extant body of literature by introducing a detailed theoretical explication of corporate heritage identity stewardship, which has important implications for future scholarly work. The study is, additionally, of instrumental relevance for corporate marketing management practice. First, it identifies different ways of implementing and anchoring a corporate heritage identity within societal environments vis-à-vis stakeholders, which can be utilised by organisations. Second, it articulates different enabling management dispositions, which help management to better understand the specific requirements of corporate heritage identity stewardship. The doctoral thesis articulates several avenues for future research (qualitative and quantitative) and provides – with the analytically generalisable corporate heritage identity stewardship theory – a new conceptual lense for future empirical and conceptual work within this nascent area of corporate marketing.

Most recently in academic literature, over the past decade, it has been observed that the cultural approach to brand management represents a new school of thought. This has emerged from relational and community based brand perspectives: which chart the rising role, significance and influence in brand management of connected and savvy consumers. Furthermore, the researcher has identified that economic migrancy; the increase in multi-racial and multicultural relations, evident in childbirth; urbanism and urbanization; Globalization; conspicuous branded consumption; and Web2.0 continue to drive new methods and channels for information exchanges, collaboration and societal understanding. These in turn are shaping and changing the way in which branding, management and consumption are being understood and practiced. Brands have gravitated towards a position of offering individual and societal meaning. In doing so they have become cultural artefacts and language shapers. In tandem the conceptual argument for a brand being understood and used as a ‘human’ has grown in prominence. Collectively, these represent a global cultural phenomenon where the management of brands appears to be a cultural, diffused and self-defined practice. The purpose of this study was to examine this identified phenomenon in greater detail, from a brand management perspective. The aim was to investigate the nature of the relationship between culture and brands – to the benefit of brand managers. The method of qualitative investigation elicited iterated views from an international panel of academics and practitioners -­ in the form of a 16 month Expert Delphi Study. Through the Delphi process, they were encouraged to arrive at a consensus of opinions and understanding. Findings of this doctoral study suggest that culture and brands share strong relationship bonds, brought into existence by human desires. Equally, brands and culture both have the ability to influence each other. Furthermore, the successful management of brands requires a cultural approach, which mediates dynamic and complex networks of brand stakeholder relations. It was concluded that the understandings of brands, culture and management have to take into account: context, space and time – as porous boundaries of transience and transcendence. A new, grounded theoretical framework for brand management was developed - which took its inspiration from Aristotle’s Praedicamenta. In addition, alternative criteria for collecting and analysing biographical data were proposed.