Alexander Dubovitski, chairman of the Guild's observation council, told the newspaper Vedomosti that the trademarks Purveyor to the Moscow Kremlin and Official Purveyor to the Moscow Kremlin belong to the Federal Bodyguard Service (FSO) and the Guild makes use of them under contract.
The purveyor-to-the-Kremlin status can be won by any company which does not have to be such directly. It only has to pay a sum of money and be certified using the FSO laboratory. The Guild's site says that the official-purveyor certificate will cost a company 2.25 million roubles (1 dollars equals 29.12 roubles), purveyor status 1.5 million roubles and that of a Guild member 750,000 roubles. A contract with the Guild intends deductions in its favour of up to 1.5 percent of receipts from the sale
of certified products.
Some claimants to the Kremlin purveyor title hope that it will prompt sales. It helps the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory, which indeed is a purveyor to the Kremlin, to get orders from the CIS regional authorities and governments, says Oleg Krivokhizhin, the factory's public relations officer. Wine and vodka companies hope that the status will produce an impression on the regional authorities, which often stand in the way of promoting vodkas made in Moscow.
The companies Coca-Cola and Bravo Premium do not hurry to join the Guild. "Too pricey", Bravo Premium marketing manager Yelena Shevchenko sighs. And so does the company Nestle.
