Coca-Cola Tests New Flat-Screen Beverage Vender at Simon Malls

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Coca-Cola Company will soon offer consumers a way to purchase ice-cold beverages with great interactive entertainment thrown in.

Introduced in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics and showcased at Simon dTour live, new high-tech interactive vending machines are being tested this spring in select Simon malls in the southeast U.S.

The new venders enable consumers to purchase ice cold beverages while enjoying a refreshing new brand experience. The sleek, stylish units being tested feature a large format touch screen display, allowing consumers to interact and experience their favorite Coca-Cola brands while learning more about Simon promotions.

“We're very excited that Simon properties are the exclusive test launch venue for these great interactive vending machines,” said Mikael Thygesen, Simon Property Group’s chief marketing officer. “These venders will be positioned in high-traffic locations and will drive consumer awareness and vend sales. Coca-Cola and Simon also will be testing several new interactive promotions that will take full advantage of the new technology on these machines.” Thygesen added that Simon Giftcards will be accepted to purchase product at the machines.

“The new machines incorporate sight, sound and motion video to take the vending experience from transaction to true interaction,” said Anthony Phillips, global brand manager, The Coca-Cola Company. “We wanted the machines to be eye-catching in a way that would turn heads and command attention.”

The machines represent one example of Coca-Cola’s renewed global emphasis on design as a strategy for connecting with consumers. Future models of the machines will offer mobile phone downloads in the form of music files, ringtones and wallpaper, along with cashless payment and more.

The new venders were developed by The Coca-Cola Company in partnership with Samsung, a leading technology innovation company, and interactive marketing agency Sapient to bring the creation to life. Simon Property Group provided input into the retail format being used in the mall tests.

The Coca-Cola Company has been driving innovation in cooler and vending technology since the 1920’s. The new machines represent the Company’s long-standing commitment to providing well-refrigerated beverages and powerful brand messages locally to its customers. Coke owns more than three million vending machines in more than 200 countries.

Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest public U.S. real estate company. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company that operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers(R), The Mills(R), community/lifestyle centers and international properties. One of the country’s Most Admired companies, according to the annual Fortune survey, Simon currently owns or has an interest in 386 properties comprising 263 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. Simon Property Group, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Company's website at www.simon.com.

The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

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