Is my vodka Russian or not? Shoppers double-check before buying

UK vodka drinkers have increased their online activity to find out exactly where their favourite brands come from, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, new data has revealed.

According to an analysis by marketing agency Mediavision, online searches for the term ‘vodka brands’ have soared by a colossal 490.83 per cent in the month since the invasion began, suggesting consumers are checking what brands are Russian before buying.

Searches for ‘Russian Standard vodka,’ a Russian-owned brand that is now on the UK boycott list, rose by 412.85 per cent as consumers checked out the origins of the once popular spirit.

Meanwhile, searches for ‘Stolichnaya vodka’ and its new moniker ‘Stoli’, a useful rebrand to water down any perceived ties with Russia, jumped by 117.48 per cent and 90.45 per cent respectively.

Searches for ‘Smirnoff vodka’, owned by Britain’s Diageo, have risen by 177.74 per cent, suggesting once again that drinkers are double-checking its origins before they buy.

At the same time, searches for Sweden’s ‘Absolut vodka’ are up 16.25 per cent, while ‘Polish Vodka’ searches have risen by 86.41 per cent since the invasion of Ukraine.

The analysis was carried out using MediaVision’s proprietary Digital Demand Tracker tool that analyses search data from AdWords and Google Trends. It also found that searches for ‘vodka cocktails’ are down by 59.75 per cent, suggesting that many casual vodka drinkers are shunning the drink entirely in the wake of the Russian invasion.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, online interest in ‘sunflowers’ (the national flower of Ukraine) has risen by 19.10 per cent over the past three weeks.

“Although the import of Russian vodka brands has now been sanctioned by the UK, drinkers were doing their research from the moment Russian troops set foot on Ukrainian soil,” Louis Venter, chief executive at MediaVision, commented.

“The data suggests that vodka is still a popular drink amongst UK consumers, but they want to be seen as doing the right thing while also enjoying their favourite tipple. This will benefit the non-Russian vodka brands, and it will be interesting to see if this is a long-term trend or a moment driven by emotion.”