MARKETPLACE ROUND-UP

     MORE FROM THIS WEEK'S BRANDWEEK:  MasterCard is close to
signing as the first returning top-level World Cup sponsor, in a
deal sources valued at $20M....Anheuser-Busch will leverage its
official ties to the PGA and Senior PGA Tour to boost its
Michelob line with a $4-5M cross promotion with Wilson Sporting
Goods.  Michelob, Michelob Light and Michelob Dry consumers will
receive a certificate redeemable at participating pro shops for a
free three-pack of Wilson's Ultra 500 golf balls....L'Oreal
signed on as a sponsor of America3, the all-female America's Cup
racing team.  L'Oreal joins 14 other sponsors including Gillette,
Motorola, Chevrolet and GLAMOUR....Nestle will promote its NBA
sponsorship through a contest offering consumers a trip to the
'95 NBA Finals as a special member of the crew of "NBA Inside
Stuff."  Ten-second promos on "NBA Inside Stuff" and print ads
will support the contest (BRANDWEEK, 2/6 issue).
     OTHER SPORTS MARKETING NEWS:  USA TODAY's coverage of the
Super Show focused on the continued success of in-line skating.
The National In-Line Hockey Association expects the sport to grow
to 7.5 million participants in 1996 (Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY,
2/6)....Karsten Manufacturing, maker of Ping golf clubs, has
"climbed on the bandwagon of niche marketing" with its Ping Zing
2 Ladies clubs.  Titleist/FootJoy also promises to increase "the
noise level" of its commitment to women's golf with interaction
with LPGA pros and the hiring of Sandy Jaskol as full-time
women's promotional manager (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL,
2/5).... Nestle will help celebrate Babe Ruth's 100th birthday
with three "nostalgic, 1920's period" TV spots linking him to
their Baby Ruth candy bar (Nestle)....Taco Bell's "Border Lights"
fat-free line of food, to be announced this week, is "given a
better-than-even chance of success by industry analysts" (WALL
STREET JOURNAL, 2/6)....Coors will begin test marketing Zima
Gold, "aimed at men who want a heartier taste than that of the
regular Zima" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/6).... U.S. soft drink exports to
Japan rose by 340% and beer exports rose 185% during the 11-month
period ended November 30, 1994 compared with the same period the
year before, according to the Commerce Department (KNIGHT RIDDER,
2/6).