ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 17, 1996 TAG: 9605170085
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON
These days, anybody can order a clever acronym on his license plate, get her name chipped into a beer mug or buy an monogrammed sweater. Nothing new there.
But marketers have been busy. The newest vehicle of self-promotion is about seven feet tall and can earn you money - a personalized soft drink machine.
You don't have to go far to see one although you need to be a corporation to get one.
It's the brainchild of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated of Charlotte, N.C., which operates a plant and distribution center in Roanoke. Its designers printed an illustration of Hotel Roanoke on 13 soft drink machines placed inside that facility. They also did up a couple of machines for the The Homestead resort in Hot Springs.
"It's just one thing we bring to customers, adding value to our marketing," said Betty Turner, spokeswoman for the bottler.
Hotel Roanoke's general manager Gary Walton said the machines dispense beverages on guest room floors and in some public areas. They were included with Coke's contract to supply the hotel its soft drinks. The hotel gets a percentage of sales. It can still serve Pepsi or any other brand of beverages to a group meeting at the hotel if the group requests it.
There was no extra charge for the picture on the machines. You may be able to get a Coke cheaper elsewhere, however. The price at the hotel is 75 cents, compared with 55 cents in Roanoke City Hall's cafeteria.
By choosing Coke, Hotel Roanoke collected an unexpected bonus. The hotel was pictured in Coca-Cola Bottling's 1995 report sent this month to its more than 4,000 shareholders.
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: WAYNE DEEL Staff The Hotel Roanoke has 13 soft-drinkby CNBvending machines with its likeness on the front. It's the brainchild
of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated of Charlotte, N.C.