OREANDA-NEWS. On January 14, 2009 Mediologia, a mass media analysis and monitoring system, has published its list of the top most frequently quoted Russian banks in the leading business newspapers Vedomosti, Kommersant and RBK Daily in 2008, reported the press-centre of Alfa-Bank.

According to this analysis, Alfa-Bank gained the most favorable publicity in the mass media, coming out on top with more quotes in the press than any other bank.

Leonid Ignat, Director of Communications & PR at Alfa-Bank said, "The objective assessment of Alfa-Bank’s quotes is indicative of the bank’s position in the Russian banking sector in particular, and in the domestic economy as a whole. During these times of crisis, this emphasizes the bank’s genuine authority, and its image as the largest commercial bank in the country. Among other things, it reflects the first-rate performance of our press service team, which has succeeded in creating effective lines of communication between the mass media and the Bank’s experts".

Alfa-Bank’s press service has been highly active in its PR work, including Internet conferences hosted by experts from the bank on the its website  launched in 2005, press lunches to discuss current banking issues, and press conferences with journalists to discuss new developments, trends and forecasts.

In addition, Alfa-Bank’s press service has been holding annual large-scale conferences for regional journalists since 2006. These have traditionally involved not only bankers, but also members of the government, legislative and executive bodies, and the Central Bank. In 2008, the conference "The Russian Financial Sector: Meeting the Global Challenge" was attended by over 200 Russian and foreign journalists.

Openness and commitment to an on-going dialogue with the press allowed the Bank to attain the status as an authoritative expert in the banking sector.

Moreover, the bank’s national press service received recognition for its high-quality work when it won the award for "Best PR Promotion of Financial Institutions," in 2007 from the Mass Media Institution of Russian Federation.