A can-do marketing scheme

Global brewing giant SABMiller plans to spend $22.8 million on promotion during the World Cup in an effort to protect its overwhelming 89 per cent market share in South Africa.

A key part of its strategy: the company’s South African subsidiary, SAB Ltd., has unveiled a special can designed specifically for the tournament. The entire top of the new “Supporters’ Can” comes off so the beer inside will spill out should a rowdy fan decide to toss it. Aside from its security benefits, the company figures the can will also speed up service—and therefore, more importantly, increase sales—at fan zones near World Cup stadiums as it eliminates the need to pour the beer into cups.

Even though it can’t peddle its wares inside the stadiums—the official sponsor is rival AB InBev, the maker of Budweiser—SABMiller expects to sell 17.6 million extra pints of beer during the tournament, boosting its market share in the process.