Does upmarket and mass market thinking apply to Employer Brands?

Last week results from two hotel and travel companies came out on the same day - TUI Travel and Intercontinental Hotels. Business commentators made much of the fact that the mass market TUI's results were down and Intercontinental's were up. Did this show the more confident spending power of the rich and big business versus mass tourism and the effect of continued uncertainty on the latter? Last week we also saw the sale of the UK's most expensive flat(in One Hyde Park for £140m).
Yes of course there are often two paths for customers according to how confident you feel.
BUT, is that thinking relevant to Employer Brands? should skilled people be heading up market too and seeking to grow in companies who specialise there?
My answer is NO. Big mass market companies are the best bet certainly for many early and mid career years for several reasons:
a) They are flexible and they have more cash- if there is an up market opportunity they will grasp it - think of Cadbury's acquisition of Green and Black
b) they generally have better strategic and planning capability
c) whatever short term shocks they may face the best have the reserves to stay to stay on course, I'd rather be employed by BA than Net Jets for example however strong private air travel has been in recent years
d) the training is better whatever the discipline (ditto the market research they do)
e) look at the alumni - I can't prove this but I suspect there are more success stories coming out of places like PepsiCo (as Martin Glenn did) than out of up market food and drink businesses.
Of course one place suits one person and another place suits another. There are some great stories coming out of up market companies and bringing new skills to them can be an admirable career option. Buying one with private equity finance can be even better.Similarly, if for instance you love fine art then what better than Christies and Sothebys? However, the great Employer Brands for most talented people are probably going to remain those in the mass market or heading fast in that direction.
As Damon Runyon I think said 'the race may not always be for the swift or the battle for the strong - but it helps to bet that way!'

Simon Barrow