Analysis of Global Marketing Strategies in Distilled Spirits Industry: Absolut Vodka Dr. Etienne Musonera, College of Business, Eastern New Mexico University, USA Dr. David Hemley, College of Business, Eastern New Mexico University, USA ABSTRACT The vodka industry is in a revitalized phase despite the assertions by most analysts that it is in the mature phase of its product life cycle. The focus of this study is to evaluate global marketing strategies in distilled spirits industry, and our analysis will concentrate on four issues that seem to delineate the conventional vodka marketing landscape. They are Mature Industry, High Brand Loyalty, Too Many Competitors, and Limited Marketing Opportunities. Keywords: Vodka, Competitive Marketing Strategies, Spirit Industry INTRODUCTION Despite whom you might ask, the origins of Vodka (Slavic for ―little water‖) come from either Poland or Russia. But the 500+ years of development have created one of the most competitive brand battles in the distilled spirits industry. Vodka accounts for nearly one-quarter of all distilled spirit sales, and continues to show annual growth despite the assertion by many marketers that the product itself is in the mature phase of its life cycle. Vodka can be classified three ways: premium, super premium and ultra premium. These designations relate to the vodka’s quality, which is attributed to the number of times the vodka is distilled and what type of filtration process is employed. The vodka goes through this process several times to remove the impurities in the solution. The more times the process is employed the higher the status of premium placed upon the vodka. This in turn affects the consistency and taste of the vodka (which characteristically has no definitive taste). As a result, the quality and taste of vodka become important selling points to the marketers. Normally these constructs, which are used in defining the value of what is being exchanged, are untenable due to their unambiguous nature. Yet the positioning placement of relevant competitors in the industry will indicate the import of these constructs, with the usage of two baseline variables consistent across the entire industry. There are many issues facing the vodka companies today. The focus of this study will concentrate on four issues that seem to delineate the conventional vodka marketing landscape. They are Mature Industry, High Brand Loyalty, Too Many Competitors, and Limited Marketing Opportunities. Mature Industry Most marketers tend to agree that the vodka industry can be characterized as being in the mature phase. In defining the product and market portfolio, the Boston Consulting Group Matrix defines the mature industries (or ―Cash