Sberbank is Russia's most expensive brand 12 bln dlrs worth

MOSCOW, March 26 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's largest retail savings bank
Sberbank has been recognized as the most expensive brand more than 12
billion dollars worth, its press service said this week with reference to
a ranking of the 500 most valuable brands in the world, annually published
by the consulting firm Brand Finance.
Having taking the 65th line Sberbank proved the only Russian company
to have entered the top one hundred on the Brand Finance list. According
to Brand Finance, Sberbank is number 19th in terms of value among the
world's banking brands.
The most expensive brand in the world is Google, which last year was
in second position. Google is followed by Microsoft, Wal-Mart, IBM and
Vodafone. Other Russian companies in the rating are Gazprom (208th )
Beeline (243th), MTS (304th), Lukoil (348th), Rosneft (370th), and Magnit
(422nd).
Earlier, in December 2010, the international agency Interbrand
published data showing that the Sberbank brand had become a leader,
showing an increase of 47 percent in value over two years.