"Aspirational brands" set for growth

Increasing affluence in emerging markets will boost "aspirational brands" like Coca-Cola, the soft drink, and Nike, the sportswear range, Credit Suisse has suggested.

The financial services group argued these operators, as well as Johnnie Walker, the whiskey, and adidas, the sportswear brand, stand to gain ground as incomes "rise to significantly higher levels".

"We can of course identify the genuine global brands that dominate high income luxury categories in areas, such as spirits ... and cars, when a switch from local preferences to global becomes most pronounced," it said.

Local brands can benefit from rising affluence, the study added, if they achieve "critical mass at the low end, but sustain it or increase it up the income scale."

Mengniu and Domik v Derevne, in China and Russia's dairy sectors respectively, and Castle lager in South Africa seem set to attain this status.

Such arguments were based on a poll of 14,000 people in eight markets - Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and South Africa - conducted with Nielsen, the research firm.