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When people hear the term “emerging markets” they usually think of bustling cities like Shanghai, Mumbai and Rio. But this month on Sparksheet we discover that the less developed regions of the BRIC countries and beyond are brimming with opportunities for global brands and marketers.

In our Feature Article, Ogilvy China’s Kunal Sinha reports that China’s brand copycats are beating the big boys to the punch. Meanwhile, TNS Australia’s Carolyn Childs unpacks how consumers in these second-tier cities differ from their big city compatriots – and from each other.

As you know, we’re all about turning events into content here at Sparksheet. This month we check in from the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and bring back lessons from the Dx3 Canada trade show in Toronto, where we served as the event’s official content partner.

On the branding front, food and travel writer Chris Johns explains why hotel brands are inviting celebrity chefs into their kitchens. Business writer Amanda DiSilvestro helps us navigate the blurring lines between our personal and professional lives. And, in this month’s Engagement Checkup, we examine the rise of branded social games.

Finally, Submittable’s Michael FitzGerald argues its time for the content industry to focus on tools of curation, while we explain why you should care about the Super Bowl even if you don’t care about American football (Hint: it’s the biggest television event of the year).

As usual, we invite you to Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, download our iPad and iPhone apps, watch us on SparksheetTV or give us a shout if you have any stories to share. In the meantime, we’ll keep curating the good ideas.

— Dan Levy, Editor