Moscow, November 1, 2007 - Interbrand and BusinessWeek magazine have published the annual rating of the most valuable Russian brands in 2007, ranking RBC (RTS, MICEX: RBCI) 22nd. Experts have estimated the value of the RBC brand at $215m.

The Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux AG consulting company (Interbrand) has been appraising global brands for seven years, and has been determining top forty Russian most valuable brands for three years, based on a single patented methodology worked out in 1998 in collaboration with London Business School.

The brand assessment is divided into three stages. At the outset, experts estimate a brand's contribution to the company's revenue over the next five years with the help of financial modeling. This is followed by marketing analysis, which reveals the brand's role in sales of products or services. At the final stage, analysts assess the brand's competitiveness. Only companies with brands created in Russia and for Russia can get into the rating. They also must disclose financial information. In addition, air carrier and pharmaceutical brands, as well as monopoly brands are not included in the rating.

In 2007, the final rating list comprised of Russian brands with a value of over $70m. This year, for the first time in the rating's history, two media companies joined the Russian rating. RBC was one of them, with its brand worth $215m.

"We have always been anxious not only to meet the market demand, but to be even a step ahead of the market, shaping demands of our audience," - RBC's General Director Yury Rovensky said. "We were the first to diversify into various information delivery channels, offering our content to the audiences in a way that is most convenient for them. To learn the latest news, people visit RBC's website, watch RBC TV, or read RBC Daily. Thus, we have drawn Russia's most active audience to our niche resources, and we are suited to answer the individual needs of advertisers, offering them a wide range of efficient media tools to reach out to their target audiences."