Product Differentiation – Vodka In 2005 I traveled to Russia. I went with a Russian friend who was excited to show me his homeland. Before going to Russia I didn't drink much vodka. In fact, during my trip to Russia, I drank more Vodka than I probably had in my entire life. No meal was complete without a toast (or two) with ice-cold Vodka. Vodka is defined as “an alcoholic liquor originally distilled from fermented wheat mash but now also made from a mash of rye, corn, or potatoes (Free Dictionary, 2013). Some people translate Vodka to mean water or water of life. Brands can differentiate their products based on size, shape, performance, features, durability, reliability, ease of repair, design, and style (Kotler & Keller, 2012). Three popular Vodka brands consumed in the United States include Absolut, Gray Goose, and Skyy. Each brand uses different tactics to differentiate itself from its competitors. ABSOLUT Absolut founded in 1879 by Lars Olsson Smith is produced exclusively in Åhus, Sweden, a small town of 10,000 people. According to Absolut (2013), this brand differentiates itself as follows:PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION:1. Shape – Absolut Vodka is delivered in one liter glass bottles. The Swedish Vodka brand has modeled all of its bottles in the likeness of an old Swedish medicine bottle (AbsolutAd, 1997). There are no labels on the bottle to avoid covering the product. Each bottle has a medallion of creator Lars Olsson Smith's face.2. Features: Absolut offers seventeen different flavors of Vodka including Absolut Mandarin, Absolut Raspberri, and Absolut Citron (Liquor.Com, 2013). The brand's website offers customers numerous recipes for making different cocktails, including free apps for iPhone...... middle of paper ......ng-hip-hop-visionaries-to-launch-skyy-infusions - moscato-grape.shtmlFree dictionary. (2013). Definition of vodka. Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vodkaGrey Goose. (2013). Our job. Retrieved from http://www.greygoose.com/en/us/our-craftGrey Goose. (2013). Our vodkas. Retrieved from http://www.greygoose.com/en/us/our-craftKotler, P., & Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice HallLiquor.Com. (2013). Absolute vodka. Retrieved from http://liquor.com/brands/absolut/Liquor.Com. (2013). Gray goose vodka. Retrieved from http://liquor.com/brands/absolut/Skyy. (2013). Vodka Skyy. Retrieved from http://www.skyy.com/Washington Times. (2012). Gray Goose: Proof of social media. Retrieved from http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/status-update/2012/may/31/grey-goose-proof-social-media/