The Marketing Myopia of Serbian Rakija Distillers

The aim of this explanatory research is to contribute to the knowledge of the marketing of spirits through research into Serbian rakija producers, with an emphasis on the marketing of their alcoholic beverages. In order to demonstrate that marketing results in higher product prices and revenues, three hypotheses related to the elements of the marketing mix will be investigated. In this quantitative survey, the questionnaire was distributed online to Serbian distillers (N = 104); hence, the sample was intentional and predetermined. The key finding is that only 4% of distillers have fully mastered marketing in the sense that they use all four elements of the marketing mix in their businesses; they also achieved significantly higher prices. It seems that it is not clear to Serbian rakija distillers exactly who they are targeting with their marketing and who will buy their products.