COCA-COLA EXPLAINS WHY IT LET PEPSI TAKE OVER MEADOWLANDS

          As reported Friday, the Meadowlands sports complex has
     signed a marketing partnership with Pepsi after a lengthy
     relationship with Coca-Cola.  In NJ, Michael Markowitz wrote
     that Pepsi will pay the NJ Sports & Exposition Authority "at
     least" $750,000 a year for the right to be the official
     soft-drink of the facility and "put its name and logo before
     8 million fans at 500 events a year."  Coca-Cola "exercised
     an exit clause in its contract after deciding the deal was
     not providing enough of a payoff in marketing exposure." 
     Coca-Cola spokesperson Scott Williamson: "We looked very
     specifically at what we were putting in and the value in
     return just wasn't there."   Williamson didn't say whether
     Coca-Cola made money in its deal (Bergen RECORD, 6/19).