Consumers throughout Russia and the CIS are familiar with VimpelCom’s “Beeline” brand, which is considered the most valuable brand in Russia.

The history of the Beeline brand dates back to 1993 when the Company’s founders, Dr. Dmitry Zimin and Augie K. Fabela II approved the logo and the brand name during a business lunch. As business and life in Russia has evolved, Company’s management has made changes in the brand to keep up with the times. Then in 2005 the Company launched a massive rebranding campaign.

By 2005 the Russian cellular market was beginning to reach saturation, but the marketing and branding was still colorless, focusing mostly on technologies rather than people. VimpelCom saw an opportunity to move its brand in a new direction. The Company re-created its brand with the characteristic black-and-yellow striped circle and launched an re-branding campaign to associate the Company with the principles of brightness, friendliness, effectiveness, simplicity and positive emotions. The rebranding campaign was hugely successful and the principles associated with the brand captured peoples’ hearts and minds.

By October 2005 the new Beeline trademark topped the rankings of the most powerful and valuable brands in Russia, as compiled by the international consulting company Interbrand Zintzmeyer Lux AG in partnership with Business Week.

VimpelCom has worked to maintain the momentum of the rebranding campaign, and a 2006 ranking showed VimpelCom maintaining brand leadership with an estimated brand value of $5.8 billion (compared to $5.0 billion in 2005).

In November 2008 an international consulting company Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux valued VimpelCom’s “Beeline” brand US$7.4 billions, naming it the most valuable Russian brand for the fourth year in a row.

In April 2009 Beeline brand was included in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking and was named as one of the world’s 10 most valuable telecom brands. 

The Beeline brand ranked no. 72, with an estimated brand value of $8.9 billion. Beeline showed the highest brand contribution index of any brand on the Russian market, demonstrating the brand’s effectiveness in driving business earnings.

The winners list was compiled through an evaluation of customer sentiment, as well as the market and financial performance of the target companies.

In November 2009 VimpelCom trademark “Beeline” was rated as the ”Most Valuable Russian Brand” by European Brand Institute with an estimated value of EUR 7.928 billion.

Beeline brand was also included in Top-50 Most Valuable European Brands in Eurobrand2009 Research for the first time in its history.

According to the Russian Patent Bureau, 100% of mobile consumers in Russia are familiar with the Beeline brand.