Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. added three new models to its Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain equipment portfolio to help expand the number of locations suited for the technology, the company says. Like the full-size Freestyle machines, the new countertop units offer multiple beverage choices, including low- and zero-calorie options, and an interactive touchscreen experience but in a smaller unit size. The new Coca-Cola Freestyle countertop dispensers will be piloted by the end of the year, the company says.

The Coca-Cola Co. took its enhanced water brand into the energy drink category with Vitaminwater Energy.

Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. reported worldwide volume growth of 2 percent as well as volume and value share gains for its non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages portfolio during the first quarter of 2014.

“It’s no secret that 2013 was a challenging year,” began Larry D. Young, president and chief executive officer of Plano, Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), in his address during the company’s fourth-quarter 2013 earnings call.

Honest Tea, an independent operating unit of The Coca-Cola Co., introduced a line of organic “summer refresher” beverages.

In its largest marketing program yet, Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. is inviting the world to celebrate football — commonly referred to as soccer in the United States — as a force for social good. Through its "The World's Cup" campaign, The Coca-Cola Co. will promote participation, empowerment and conversation surrounding the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil with the goal of delivering the most accessible and inclusive international football championship event ever, the company says.

Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. is expanding its “The Ahh Effect” campaign with added features for its second year. The teen-focused effort will build on its history of innovation with several marketing firsts for Coca-Cola in interactive and broadcast media this coming year, the company says.

Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co. has joined forces with NBA superstar LeBron James to create a new, limited-edition Sprite flavor. Sprite 6 Mix by LeBron James combines the taste of Sprite with a splash of cherry and orange flavor, the company says. The flavor formulation, packaging graphics and product name for Sprite 6 Mix were co-developed with James to reflect his style and taste preferences, it says.

Fitness water brand Buff Water signed Canadian Football League athlete Hugh Charles, a running back for the Edmonton Eskimos, to its brand team.

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (GMCR), Waterbury, Vt., announced the closing of the previously announced private placement of GMCR common stock to The Coca-Cola Co. for total gross proceeds of approximately $1.25 billion.