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This dissertation investigates the place marketing aspect of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the complexity of different geographies and interest groups surrounding such urban mega-events with theories on different levels of abstraction. Adopting the hegemonic political and economic theories of Neoliberalism on the general and macro level, and the more specific theories of place marketing on the micro level, this research argues that place marketing is one of the neoliberal imaginaries used to legitimate neoliberal practices, such as Olympic land acquisition. The author connects the abstract theories of Neoliberalism and the concrete theories of place marketing with Sklair’s Transnational Capitalist Class (2001) theory which suggests the formation of globally mobile elites who with their highly mobile capital have become very influential in the staging of urban mega-events and mega projects. In the particular case of the Olympic Games, some of these mobile capitalists have been very active in providing official sponsorship in exchange of exclusive marketing rights to associate their brands with the Olympics. Based on reviews of major Olympic-related official documents, a news survey on national, city and local newspapers and 31 elite interviews covering official place marketers of London, local governments, regional governmental bodies, Olympic Delivery Authority, official Olympic sponsors, small business owners and NGOs, this study points out the conflict of interests between place marketers and product marketers at the junction of urban mega-events. Understanding London’s top world city status and taking into account the desire to host the Olympic Games for a third time in response to fierce inter-city competition, this research indicates how place marketing is in theory a development strategy but in practice a difficult task due to the financial dilemmas and legal issues faced by neoliberalised governments. Legislations passed and contracts signed specifically for the Olympic Games have provided priorities and exclusive rights to official sponsors who are the product marketers in this case over place marketers. This thesis explores the complex legal issues surrounding Olympic place marketing which has a distinct but limited literature, and how localities on different geographical levels are affected by such legal arrangements.

ABS (arcylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) is one of the most common polymers in electrical and electronic equipment. In this thesis, ABS plastics from computer equipment housings have been investigated to find the effect of reprocessing upon chemical and physical properties. A torque rheometer was used to simulate the recycling process. Two ABS plastics were reprocessed at different temperatures and rotational speeds; the other one was multiply reprocessing for different number of cycles. After reprocessing, degradation levels of the reprocessed materials were investigated by FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometry), GPC (gel permeation chromatography) and DMTA (dynamic mechanical thermal analysis); the change of additives was studied by GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry); impact testing and tensile testing of reprocessed materials were carried out, and the fracture surfaces were examined using SEM (scanning electron microscopy). It was found that cross-linking of the rubber phase occurred at high reprocessing temperature. During multiple reprocessing, cross-linking of rubber might be accompanied by a slight increased thermo-oxidative degradation of ABS. Some additives were lost during processing. The impact strength of ABS plastic reduced after reprocessing, particularly at high temperature. During multiple reprocessing, impact strength of ABS plastic reduced continuously. Failure strain reduced after reprocessing. By SEM, the heterogeneity of reprocessed materials and the breakdown of microstructure of ABS polymer could be observed from the fracture surfaces of ‘after reprocessing’ samples. In this study, it was found that defects were possibly an important reason for the reduction of impact strength and failure strain after reprocessing at low temperature; at high reprocessing temperature, the reduction of impact strength was perhaps related to cross-linking of the rubber phase; the lack of adherence along SAN/rubber particles interface, which might be promoted by degradation of rubber, was an important reason for the reduction of impact strength of ABS plastic.