Kremlinologists apparently have an interesting new way to gauge who's in and who is not since the fall of communism. A vodka named after former Russian president Vladimir Putin quickly catapulted to
the No. 2 position in sales after it was launched in 2003 but a similar brand named after current president Dmitry Medvedev is languishing on the shelves, Andrew Osborn reports. Both vodkas cost 150
rubles, or roughly $4, per half liter.
To stand out in Russia's $11 billion vodka market, experts say, a vodka maker needs a unique brand and needs to market it heavily. "The disparity
reflects Russia's political reality," Osborn writes. Putin accepted the more-junior position of prime minister last May but polls show he remains more popular than Medvedev. One recent survey showed
87% of respondents thought "real power" remained either completely or significantly in Putin's hands.
For the record, a Kremlin spokesman says he's not sure if the president is aware of
the new vodka, but says such initiatives generally aren't welcome. And a spokesman for Putin has said that he has "an extraordinarily negative attitude" towards attempts to use his name for commercial
purposes.
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