Russia's MTS, VimpelCom Rank Among Top World Brands -Vedomosti

Two of the 100 most valuable brands in the world are Russia's biggest cellular provider, OAO Mobile TeleSystems (MBT), and the Beeline trademark of rival operator OAO Vimpel Communications (OVIP), business daily Vedomosti reports Wednesday based on an international consultant's research.

MTS and Beeline ranked 72nd and 92nd, respectively, on the 2010 edition of the Brand Z list of top 100 global brands compiled by Millward Brown Optimor, a division of U.K.-based advertising giant WPP PLC (WPP.LN). The phone companies finished 71st and 72nd last year; in terms of share of Russia's market, MTS and VimpelCom are No. 1 and No 2.

Millward Brown said MTS's brand value increased by 6% from 2009, to $9.72 billion (capitalization is $23.1 billion), while brand growth for Beeline was 8%, to $8.16 billion (VimpelCom's capitalization is $15.9 billion).

The Brand Z report, which began publishing in 2006, recognized Russian natural gas monopoly OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) for the first time, with a brand value estimated at $6.35 billion. That didn't put the energy giant in the top 100, but it was ranked eighth among worldwide oil and gas producers. Based on its $141.9 billion capitalization, Gazprom is one of the world's biggest companies.

Newspaper Web site: www.vedomosti.ru

Link to Brand Z report: http://brandz.ogilvyeditions.com/top100/

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