Coke also has been running promotions to give away 20,000 tickets to the majority of people in the country who cannot afford them.
It already has a major presence in Africa, but the tournament gives it the chance to widen its lead.
Coke began planning for the World Cup three years ago, sending a half-dozen marketing executives to South Africa. IEG LLC estimates it has spent as much as $600 million in World Cup-related marketing worldwide since then, including $124 million for sponsorship rights. "The No. 1 question will be, are we selling more product?" says chief marketing and commercial officer Joe Tripodi. "Time will tell."
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