EKTO BRAND WINS SILVER AT BRAND OF THE YEAR/EFFIE 2007 CONTEST

Monday, April 14, 2008

LUKOIL EKTO branded automobile fuel has won the second prize of the Brand of the Year/EFFIE 2007 contest, Auto-moto category.

LUKOIL introduced its premium EKTO branded fuel to the Russian market in 2006. Consumers can purchase EKTO branded automobile gasolines and diesel fuel with cleansing properties which improve engine performance.

According to its technical properties EKTO complies with Euro-3 and Euro-4 standards. EKTO branded fuel allows the engine to work at maximum capacity and reduce harmful emissions.

Introduction of EKTO branded fuel to the market was accompanied by a large-scale national advertising and marketing campaign on TV, in the press, on outdoor advertising media and at LUKOIL filling stations.

The major focus of the advertising campaign was to achieve at least a 36% level of brand recognition, ensure that sales volume exceed the natural market growth rate, and create public awareness of LUKOIL’s image as a hi-tech oil company.

The advertising campaign has greatly contributed to an EKTO branded fuel sales increase, while the EKTO brand recognition level has come to 38% (according to Ipsos Ad tracking data). Besides, good indicators in terms of loyalty to EKTO branded fuel and LUKOIL filling stations on the part of consumers have been achieved.

"BRAND OF THE YEAR/EFFIE contest is the only Russian contest certified by the American Marketing Association (АМА). For this reason its diploma as one of the most prestigious international awards in advertisement and marketing is an evidence that LUKOIL is successfully promoting EKTO branded fuel on the Russian market", Vladimir Nekrasov, OAO LUKOIL First Vice President said.