Special Reports provide in-depth FT coverage of countries around the world, as well as industries from tech to luxury and themes ranging from workplace health to entrepreneurship.

Global Brands

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on 21 January 2025

We plan to include the following pieces of content (please note: this list is provisional)

Our special report will draw upon Kantar’s industry-renowned Global Brands data - and exclusive analysis, available only to the FT, to produce 8 articles, each with an accompanying mini-ranking or graphic.

These will be split into (provisionally):

3 x articles on the fastest-growing brands in these growth markets: 

India

Biggest area is technology and specifically technology service provision; outsourcing in particular - they have been by far the fastest growth brands; challenge has been overcoming cultural perceptions such as bias to IBM, and being thought of as global leaders, TCS can be just as good a choice; how local brands can challenge the multinationals, perform better; comparison with patriotic duty to buy Chinese in China     

Mexico 

The growth in alcohol brands, cultural export of brands, closeness of the US and export of Latino aspects into the US, fast food brands doing well; beer as a signifier of which culture is up   

United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia 

Brands that demonstrably meet consumer needs are being rewarded; Kantar data shows that Emirati and  Saudi brands that improved their scores on ‘Meeting Needs’ also saw significant upticks in measures of usage. Consumers don’t just feel more positively about ‘meaningfully different’ brands - they turn to them more. Three new entrants to Saudi’s ranking include: BSF; Al Rajhi Takaful and Aldrees; telecom giant e& (etisalat and ) remains the top Emirati brand, followed by Emirates and FAB; multi-specialty hospital brand Burjeel enters the Emirati ranking for the first time. 

1 x infographic on the up-and-coming brands with momentum, globally

2 x articles on the brand and sales dynamics within specific sectors, eg 

• Use of AI in non tech industries; 
• Shifting brand values in the electric vehicle market;

2 x newsworthy data-led stories, eg 

• What next for the 'Go woke, go broke' argument? It had been debunked by data showing that inclusivity=sales, but the re-election of Donald Trump and influence of anti-woke billionaire Elon Musk suggest businesses will suffer for promoting equality;  
• Using data to predict return on investment on marketing spend. 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Luke McGreevy: +971 (5) 087 63027, luke.mcgreevy@ft.com

Mark Magrane on +44 (0)7855 352 176, mark.magrane@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FTfm: Fixed Income 

The Financial Times proposes to publish this FT Report on January 27, 2025

We plan to include the following features (please note that this list is provisional):

Is There a Future for Traditional Bond Funds? 

Investors are avoiding traditional actively-managed bond funds and preferring to use either low-cost exchange traded funds or alternative fixed-income assets such as private credit and infrastructure debt funds, says BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. He has called this the “barbell effect” - because it looks like money is collecting at the two far ends of the spectrum. It is similar to the division in equity investment, where investors are bifurcated between passive index funds and high-fee private equity funds. But what will this mean for conventional bond funds? Do they still have a use? Or do their returns no longer justify their fees?

Is the Trump Trade to Buy Bonds? Or Equities? 

Investors have long been preparing for a second Donald Trump presidency. And the one outcome they seem to agree on is inflation. A big increase in trade tariffs, and tax cuts for businesses and wealthy individuals, plus deregulation look like a recipe for higher stocks and higher inflation, which is bad for bond prices. But, when it looked more likely Trump would win, and create geopolitical chaos by abandoning Europe and Taiwan, bond prices rose. Investors sought safety in US Treasuries government bonds —the go-to asset in times of geopolitical stress. So will Trump's isolationist, protectionist, populism be good or bad for fixed-income investors? 

Will Lower Inflation mean Higher Demand for Bonds?

With inflation finally falling after years of rising prices, bonds appear to offer a reasonable return, again. In Britain, the 10-year government bond yields 4.2 per cent, while in the US, the equivalent Treasury bond offers 4.4 per cent. Assuming that central banks manage to keep inflation to 2 per cent a year, this means bonds offer a real (after inflation) yield of more than 2 percentage points - for the first time in ages. Does this mean they are a serious option for your portfolio?

Is there a dangerous bubble in China's sovereign bonds? 

The People’s Bank of China has been worried about a bubble forming in the country’s sovereign bond market. So worried that it intervened in the market: borrowing several hundred billion renminbi of long-dated bonds that it can sell into the market to try to satisfy demand. The central bank fears that regional banks may be buying at too high a price, creating problems if the value of their holdings suddenly drops - a crisis similar to that which caused the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last year.

Can Emerging Market Bonds Keep Outperforming?

Resilient economies and domestic reforms have helped emerging market bonds outperform western counterparts. Argentina’s bonds have been among the top performers, as investors have welcomed a radical austerity package and deregulation by incoming president Javier Milei. Meanwhile, dollar bonds in Sri Lanka, Ghana and Zambia have all delivered double-digit returns this year as they enter the final phase of their debt restructuring processes. Significant support from the IMF and other official creditors has also reduced the likelihood of more sovereign debt defaults. So are these the bonds to hold for the best total returns in months and years ahead?  

Are Junk Bonds too Risky if Interest Rates Stay High?

Fixed-income investors have been selling out of the US junk bonds and switching to higher-quality debt, as fears persist over a much longer period of high interest rates and a surge in bankruptcies. They seem worried about companies potentially losing access to funding and defaulting on their debt as borrowing costs stay high. Market expectations for US interest rates have swung wildly in 2024: in January, investors were expecting six or seven rate cuts in the year; they are currently pricing in about two quarter-percentage-point cuts. Does that make junk bonds too risky? 

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

Charlotte Morgan +44 (0) 20 7775 6822, charlotte.morgan@ft.com

Ben Tobin +1 929 746 1463, ben.tobin@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.

FT Business Education:  Global MBA Rankings

The Financial Times proposes to publish this Special Report on February 17, 2025.

We plan to include the following pieces of content (please note that this list is provisional):

Introduction

An analysis of the FT ranking of leading MBA programmes around the world and trends in the sector.

The Global MBA Ranking:  The 2025 ranking of MBAs, plus profiles, key and methodology.

MBA Rebound

MBA applications are growing at top US and European business schools, reversing a two-year post-Covid decline and helping to restore confidence in the degree, which some had claimed was past its peak. But do the numbers tell the full story? 

US Business Schools

An exploration of the big trends in North American business education, where there is growing demand for the subject at undergraduate level but fresh uncertainties against the background of the new administration.

Entrepreneurship

Business schools are increasingly offering incubators, start-up advice and entrepreneurship teaching as more students seek to create their own businesses. A look at the leading schools and the debate around the trends.

Networking

Alumni networks have long been a crucial part of the MBA offering, building connections that continue to power career development after graduation. A look at the impact of such networks and how they are using innovative ways to create a supportive and close-knit environment.

Interview

An in-depth interview with a graduate about their studies and what it has meant for their career. 

Data: FT ranking specialists explore trends in courses, illustrated by charts.

In Real Life

A graduate explains what it was like to take an MBA and what it has meant for their career, in their own words.  

Information

■ Recently published FT Special Reports can be viewed at www.ft.com/specialreports 

A full list of published reports can be viewed at http://www.ft.com/reports/library Forthcoming FT Special Reports and their synopsis can be downloaded via the 

Future Reports link on the www.ft.com/specialreports page. 

For website assistance please call + (0) 20 7775 6297.

This editorial synopsis must not be amended in any way by anyone other than the Editor of Special Reports. 

All submissions or suggestions for editorial features should be sent to reports@ft.com 

This is to ensure all suggestions can be assessed and to enable the editorial team to cope with the huge volume of approaches that would otherwise stop them from doing their work. Due to the volume of approaches the editorial team are unable to confirm receipt or respond to all enquiries. 

Advertisement and Sponsorship Information

For details of the advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact:

 Gemma Taylor +44 (0)20 7873 3698, gemma.taylor@ft.com

Matt Rodford +44 79212 50719, matthew.rodford@ft.com

or your usual Financial Times representative.

Please note the advertising representatives cannot assist with editorial approaches or other editorial matters. Please be advised that Financial Times advertisers and sponsors have no influence on editorial content.