Adweek: The Rise of BRIC: How Brazil, Russia, India and China are reshaping the marketing world

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/special-reports/other-reports/e3ibd2a4d5f94f9578bb5e64247c12ae3b1
" What used to be considered the developing countries of the Third World are quickly becoming the emerging economies of the next world. BRIC: Brazil, Russia, India and China are four markets with unique characteristics, but are nonetheless tied together by the potential created after changes in their political systems unleashed the consumer demand of 43 percent of the world's population. Already, five of the planet's top 10 cities -- centers of wealth generation for consumers climbing the economic ladder -- are located in the burgeoning BRIC.

The term entered into business parlance in 2003 after Goldman Sachs global economist Jim O'Neill outlined his future worldview. He believed BRIC possessed the economic potential to become the world's four most dominant economies by 2050, which could be larger than that of the U.S. and Western Europe combined.

Recent headlines about the bailouts of major U.S. financial institutions and speculation about the dollar's fall from global dominance underscored the shift in power towards Asia that has been well under way. China and India, along with Russia, are expected to be among the fastest-growing economies in the world this year (although a U.S.-triggered global downturn could impact the BRIC economies, which are still heavily driven by exports)."