Debra Leighton

Associate Dean (Academic)

• Maxwell 325
• T: 0161 295 2231
• M: 07814 830210
• E: d.leighton@salford.ac.uk
• Twitter: @DebraLeighton
• SEEK: Research profile

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Debra Leighton is Associate Dean (Academic) in the College of Business and Law. Formerly holding a number of other leadership roles within Salford Business School and the School of Art and Design at Salford, she has over twenty years experience of higher education spanning learning and teaching, enterprise and engagement and research. Her academic career builds on experience of brand management and new product development in the manufacturing sector, and her research expertise lies in the field of marketing with particular application to experiential marketing and the co-creation of customer value in sectors such as the arts and cultural heritage.

 As Associate Dean (Academic) she is actively engaged in action led pedagogical research. Co-Chair of the University’s ‘6^th Education in a Changing Environment; Creativity and Engagement in Higher Education’ Conference (2011), the conference built on the University’s core strengths in community and social engagement. Debra’s personal contribution to the Conference reported on a study working with early career researchers on student non-continuation, aimed at developing informed interventions that enable students to achieve their potential.

With a specific interest in learning and teaching enhancement and institutional practices designed to improve learning and teaching, Debra is committed to encouraging innovative approaches to curriculum design and delivery and to improving access and inclusion to Higher Education. She is actively involved in the development of partnerships and collaborations with other education providers both in the UK and overseas, and with industry and third sector organisations. As University lead on a recent heritage Lottery funded project ‘Swinton Lions Tales and More’ ©she worked with a range of stakeholders including Swinton Lions Rugby League Club, Salford City Council, Salford Museum and Art Gallery, BBC 21CCand  Age UK to record the heritage of the club and its players, supporters and local community. She is currently collaborating internationally with the University of Tasmania on a longitudinal research project based on MONA  (Museum of Old and New Art) which opened in January 2011.

• Strategic marketing
• Search and social media marketing
• Relationship marketing
• Arts and cultural heritage marketing
• Arts and cultural heritage management
• Research methods

Debra’s subject research interests include experiential marketing  and in particular strategic development opportunities for arts and cultural organisations operating in an increasingly competitive marketplace. She has produced a number of journal papers and has presented at UK and international conferences, including the Academy of Marketing Brand Conference (SAID Business School, Oxford University 2011), the International Conference on Arts and Cultural Management, Dallas, Texas,  ATLAS 2010, (Cyprus 2009) and the Academy of Marketing  Annual Conference (Coventry 2009). She is an invited reviewer for a number of marketing journals.

Building on her interest in engagement with industry, she currently holds an AHRC award for a collaborative PhD with Techniquest, the UK’s first science discovery centre which is based in Cardiff Bay. She is also working with the University of Tasmania Business School on a longitudinal research project based on MONA, an innovative luxury brand which includes a new museum housing an extensive and controversial private art collection.

BA Business Studies     Leeds Metropolitan University

PG Dip Marketing          University of Salford

MA Marketing                University of Lincoln

Member                          Academy of Marketing

                                         Museums Association

(i) Book chapters

Leighton,D and Varey,R ( 2003). Managing the Visitor’s Experience through Internal Marketing. In Kuslavan,S (Ed). Managing Employee Attitudes and Behaviours in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Ch 22 p415-433. ISBN 1-59033-630-5.

(ii) Refereed journal papers

Conway, A and Leighton D (2011). ‘Staging the Past. Enacting the Present: Experiential Marketing in the Performing Arts and Heritage Sectors. Submitted to Journal of Arts Marketing (online).In press.

Leighton, D (2007) In The Frame: Investigating The Use of Mobile Phone Photography in Museums. International Journal of Non-profit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 12:308-319.

Leighton, D (2006) Step back in time and live the legend: experiential marketing and the heritage sector. International Journal of Non-profit and Voluntary Sector Marketing.12 :117-125

(iii) Conference proceedings

Conway A and Leighton, D (2011) ‘Co-Creating the Visitor Experience in the Arts and Cultural Sector: The Role of Social Media . Presented at 11^th AIMAC Conference, Antwerp, Belgium, July 2011.

Leighton, D and Lehman, K (2011) ‘Over the Waterfall in a Barrel: Experiential Marketing and the Building of Brand’.7^th Academy of Marketing Global Brand Conference, Oxford University. 

Lehman, K and Leighton D (2010) ‘The Development of a Hedonistic Experience Brand: Australia’s MONA’.  Academy of Marketing Conference, Coventry, UK.

Leighton, D (2010). ‘Challenging the Traditional Culture Vulture: Experiential Marketing in the Cultural Tourism Sector. ATLAS Conference 2010,’Niche Tourism v Mass Tourism’ Limassol, Cyprus.

Conway, A and Leighton D (2009) ‘Staging the Past, Enacting the Present: Experiential Marketing in the Performing Arts and Heritage Sectors’ 10^th International Conference on Arts and Cultural Management (AIMAC), Dallas,Texas.

Leighton, D (2008)‘Hold Your Nose- You’re Going Underwater: An Integrated Experiential Approach to Marketing in the Heritage Sector’, International Tourism Conference 2008: Cultural and Event Tourism, Issues and Debates’, Alanya, Turkey . ISBN 978-9944-223-73-7

Leighton, D and Sterry, P (2004)The Benefits of Visitor and Non- Visitor Research in the Shaping of Sustainable Tourism: with special reference to Cultural Tourism .BEST Think Tank 1V Sustainability and mass Destinations: Challenges and Possibilities, Esbjerg, Denmark.

Leighton, D (2004) Team Talk: A Key Skills Peer Evaluation Project . Education in a Changing Environment Conference, Salford, September. ISBN 0902896806

Sterry, P and Leighton, D (2003) Interpretive Planning in the Tourist/ Historic City: A Key Skills Recognition and Development Project Enhancing the Student Experience. Education in a Changing Environment Conference, Salford, September. ISBN 0902896660

Leighton, D and Sterry, P (2002)‘Shaping Successful Tourism Development: The Role of Visitor and Non- Visitor Research’, ATLAS Africa ,Mombasa, Kenya.

(iv)Conference papers/contributions

Leighton, D, Platt, L, Vandenberg P and Higson, B (2011) ‘ Dropout Bear and Other Stories: Toward an Understanding of Non-Completion in Art and Design’, 6^th International Education in a Changing Environment Conference  ‘Creativity and Engagement in Higher Education’, University of Salford, July 2011. Pecha kucha  abstract  available online.

Leighton, D (2007).’Get the Full Darcy: Experiential Marketing and the Heritage Sector’. Extraordinary Experiences Conference, Bournemouth, UK.

Leighton, D and Scarlett, B (2004)‘ Hello Moto! Investigating the use of Mobile Phone Photography in Museums’. Academy of Marketing, First Joint Workshop, Non-profit and Arts/Heritage Marketing SIG, London Metropolitan University.

Leighton, D (2004) ‘Step Back in Time and Live the Legend: Experiential Marketing and the Heritage Sector’. 4^th International Colloquium on Nonprofit, Social and Arts Marketing, London Metropolitan University.

(v) Other published output

Baron, S et al (2010). Case study- Brunel’s ss Great Britain. Relationship Marketing: A Consumer Experience Approach. Sage. ISBN 9781412931212.

(vi) Journal editorships and editorial board memberships

Co-Chair. 6^th International Education in a Changing Environment Conference: Creativity and Engagement in Higher Education. University of Salford July 2011

Co- editor, 5^th Education in a Changing Environment Conference Salford: Critical Voices, critical times. University of Salford, September 2009. Book of conference papers (Ely publishing, September 2011)

Invited Reviewer for International Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing (2010)

Invited reviewer for special issue of European Journal of Marketing, on Nonprofit, Arts and Heritage Marketing (Nov 2008).

Invited reviewer for International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, October 2008.

(vii) Other media and creative activities

Conference paper presentation subsequently broadcast by TRT-INT on the MIKNATIS programme (13th and 14^th December 2008). Online reference:http://www.trt.net.tr/Canli/anasayfa.aspx?kanal=TRTINT