MOSCOW, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Mobile TeleSystems OJSC ("MTS" or "the Company" - NYSE: MBT),
the leading telecommunications provider in Russia and the CIS, today
announced that its brand has been included in the BrandZ™ Top 100
Most Valuable Global Brands 2014 ranking for the seventh
consecutive year. The valuation study was conducted by Millward
Brown Optimor, experts in the economics of branding and financial
valuations, and shows that MTS increased its brand value by 14.5%
to reach $12.18 billion this past
year.
MTS is the only Russian telecommunications brand included in the
BrandZ™ 2014 ranking and placed ninth among the Top 10 leading
telecommunications brands in the world. MTS increased its position
by 2 places relative to last year and now ranks #80 overall among
the top 100 global brands.
"MTS outperformed average indicators of telecommunications
companies in the rankings as the growth rate for its brand exceeded
the average by 11 times. This convincing growth is a result of the
Company's brand development not only in the telecom sector, where
MTS is a leader in voice, mobile Internet, pay-tv and broadband,
but also in other sectors. MTS has become an active player in the
financial service market and strengthened its mobile retail
network. MTS's extension to complementary lines of business beyond
the telecommunications sector and expansion of services has had a
positive impact on its brand value growth," remarked the Vice
President of Millward Brown Optimor for the Eurasia region,
Anastasia Kurovskaya.
"MTS develops unique products and services designed to
popularize innovative digital technologies for everyday life. As
the leader in mobile Internet access through the sale of
budget-friendly smartphones, MTS has created opportunities for
millions of people to access work, entertainment, commerce and even
philanthropy through its high-speed networks," commented Vasyl
Latsanych, Vice President of Marketing, for MTS. "This brings
significant benefits to the company. In FY2013, MTS demonstrated
record revenue growth of 49% year-over-year in mobile Internet
services, while strengthening its leadership in the communication
sector and related segments."
In 2008, MTS was the first Russian company to enter the BrandZ™
Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking with an initial brand
value estimated at $8.1 billion.
MTS remains only one of two Russia-based brands to be included in the
BrandZ™ Top 100.
BrandZ™ calculates a brand's strength by measuring the emotional
loyalty it creates and is the only brand valuation methodology that
uses as part of the valuation process consumer data which now
covers two million plus consumers and more than 50,000 brands in
over 30 countries.
Detailed information about BRANDZ™ can be found on its website
http://www.brandz.com
Learn more about MTS. Visit the official blog of the Investor
Relations Department at http://www.mtsgsm.com/blog/
* * *
Mobile TeleSystems OJSC ("MTS") is the leading
telecommunications group in Russia, Сentral and Eastern Europe, offering mobile and fixed
voice, broadband and pay TV in one of the world's fastest growing
regions. Including its subsidiaries, the Group services over 100
million mobile subscribers. The Group has been awarded GSM licenses
in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkmenistan and Belarus, a region that boasts a total
population of more than 200 million. Since June 2000, MTS' Level 3 ADRs have been listed on
the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional
information about the MTS Group can be found at
http://www.mtsgsm.com.
* * *
Some of the information in this press release may contain
projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future
events or the future financial performance of MTS, as defined in
the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward looking
statements by terms such as "expect," "believe," "anticipate,"
"estimate," "intend," "will," "could," "may" or "might," and the
negative of such terms or other similar expressions. We wish
to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that
actual events or results may differ materially. We do not undertake
or intend to update these statements to reflect events and
circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events. We refer you to the documents
MTS files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, specifically the Company's most recent Form 20-F. These
documents contain and identify important factors, including those
contained in the section captioned "Risk Factors" that could cause
the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our
projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others,
the severity and duration of current economic and financial
conditions, including volatility in interest and exchange rates,
commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets; the
impact of Russian, U.S. and other foreign government programs to
restore liquidity and stimulate national and global economies, our
ability to maintain our current credit rating and the impact on our
funding costs and competitive position if we do not do so,
strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions and our
success in integrating acquired businesses, potential fluctuations
in quarterly results, our competitive environment, dependence on
new service development and tariff structures, rapid technological
and market change, acquisition strategy, risks associated with
telecommunications infrastructure, governmental regulation of the
telecommunications industries and other risks associated with
operating in Russia and the CIS,
volatility of stock price, financial risk management and future
growth subject to risks.
For further information, please contact in Moscow:
Joshua B. Tulgan
Director, Department of Corporate Finance and Investor
Relations
Mobile TeleSystems OJSC
Tel: +7-495-223-2025
E-mail: ir@mts.ru