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Consolidation of Agencies Will Optimize Marketing Resources and Ensure Best-in-Class Programs

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 2009-- Del Monte Foods (NYSE: DLM), one of the country's largest and most well known producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded food and pet products, announced today that, in an effort to continually upgrade the Company’s ability to fully optimize marketing resources and produce best-in-class marketing programs that deliver on the Company’s accelerated growth plan, it will consolidate all consumer promotion and shopper marketing activity under two agencies of record.

Catapult Action Biased Marketing will be the consumer promotions and shopper marketing agency of record for Del Monte Foods’ entire portfolio of consumer products brands, including Del Monte^®, College Inn^®, Contadina^® and S&W^®. Draftfcb Chicago will be the consumer promotions and shopper marketing agency of record for Del Monte Foods’ entire portfolio of pet products brands, including Meow Mix^®, Kibbles ‘n Bits^®, 9Lives^®, Milk-Bone^® and Pup-Peroni^®.

“These new agencies will serve as strategic thought partners — working with Del Monte Foods brand teams to develop and execute programs that resonate with consumers and customers,” said Bill Pearce, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Del Monte Foods. “These agencies have a proven track record of success in strategy, planning, analytics, collaboration, and execution in the Consumer, Shopper, and Customer domains. With their help, Del Monte Foods will be better positioned to enhance its ability to integrate solutions, motivate shoppers, and build stronger programs for our customers across the marketing calendar. We’re very excited to have Catapult Marketing and Draftfcb on board.”

“It is truly a privilege to work with such a great company,” said Matthew Jonas, President, Catapult Action Biased Marketing. “We look forward to delivering world class programs that will help Del Monte Foods win in the marketplace with their consumers, shoppers, and retail partners.”

“We are proud to be selected as a Del Monte Foods partner and are eager to begin work on this phenomenal portfolio of pet brands,” said Tina Manikas, Draftfcb global retail and promotions officer. “The pet category is extremely aggressive, which presents a fun and exciting challenge. Our team is ready to inject insight, creativity and retail analytics to help strengthen Del Monte Foods’ leading position in the pet products category through consumer and shopper solutions.”

About Del Monte Foods

Del Monte Foods is one of the country’s largest and most well-known producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded food and pet products for the U.S. retail market, generating approximately $3.6 billion in net sales in fiscal 2009. With a powerful portfolio of brands including Del Monte^®, S&W^®, Contadina^®, College Inn^®, Meow Mix^®, Kibbles 'n Bits^®, 9Lives^®, Milk-Bone^®, Pup-Peroni^®, Meaty Bone^®, Snausages^® and Pounce^®, Del Monte products are found in eight out of ten U.S. households. The Company also produces, distributes and markets private label food and pet products. For more information on Del Monte Foods Company (NYSE: DLM) visit the Company’s website at www.delmonte.com.

Del Monte. Nourishing Families. Enriching Lives. Every Day._™

About Catapult Marketing

PROMO’s “Agency of the Year” as well as one of the HUB’s “Top 5 Shopper Marketing Agencies,” Catapult is an action-biased marketing solutions agency. Catapult focuses on creative strategies that prompt consumers into action and drive consumer trial, repeat purchase, and loyalty for client brands. The agency brings a deep understanding of the brand, consumer, and retailer to every client assignment. Catapult's retail insight and genuine depth of shopper marketing knowledge is a core differentiator that sets it apart.

Founded in 2005, Catapult is a full-service agency providing consumer and shopper strategic insights, consumer promotions, shopper marketing, interactive (Web, mobile, CRM), direct, experiential, sales analytics, and merchandising, all through an integrated team approach. Its in-house analytics team tracks ROI and post-performance metrics for every program. Catapult, together with its sister agency Catapult APAC in Singapore, is a global agency with alliances that provide worldwide reach. Visit Catapult at: www.catapultmarketing.com

About Draftfcb

Draftfcb is the first global, behavior-based, holistic marketing communications organization to operate against a single P&L. In delivering its clients a high Return on Ideas^SM, the agency is driven by The 6.5 Seconds That Matter^SM, a creative expression recognizing the brief period of time marketers have to capture consumers’ attention and motivate them to act. With nearly 140 years of combined expertise, Draftfcb has roots in both consumer advertising and behavioral, data-driven direct marketing and firmly believes there is no way to separate creativity from accountability. Part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG), the Draftfcb network spans 96 countries with more than 9,500 employees. The agency’s corporate leadership team includes Howard Draft, executive chairman; Laurence Boschetto, CEO and president; Jonathan Harries, vice chairman and global chief creative officer; and Neil Miller, chief financial officer. For more information, visit www.draftfcb.com.

Source: Del Monte Foods

Del Monte Foods
Bryson W. Thornton, 415-247-3052
bryson.thornton@delmonte.com