Cats Asked For It By Name: Meow Mix® Jingle Returns!

SAN FRANCISCO, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Strike up the chorus...of cats! The Meow Mix Jingle, one of America's most beloved and memorable jingles, is returning to the airwaves. And it's not just cats that are singing the praises. In a recent survey conducted by Kelton Research, 50 percent of respondents recall most, if not all, of the lyrics to the catchy tune. In addition, 81 percent of respondents claimed to have heard the Meow Mix Jingle in the last 18 months, when in reality, the classic version of the jingle stopped airing in 1996, 16 years ago! The jingle returned to airwaves for the launch of the new Meow Mix Tender Centers™ cat food, the only dry cat food where every kibble is dual textured, where each kibble is crunchy on the outside with a meaty center.

"The Meow Mix Jingle brings back a sense of nostalgia and is a classic advertising spot that many people can even recite by memory," said Sue Resnicoff, Director of Cat Food Marketing for Del Monte Foods. "In launching Meow Mix Tender Centers™, we are thrilled to bring back the jingle after so many years, reminding our consumers of that wistful feeling once again."

COMMITTED TO MEMORY

According to the survey, the Meow Mix Jingle is the number two most memorable American jingle, second only to the Oscar Mayer song. The recognition isn't only coming from the human persuasion, either; 15 percent of respondents even said their feline can identify the jingle.

PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE...TO THE CATS

The digital age also takes a backseat to the cats: the survey concluded that more than one in three (39 percent) respondents know the Meow Mix Jingle better than all of their online passwords, including Facebook, their email account and more. In addition, 32 percent of all respondents admitted that the Meow Mix Jingle was easier to recite than the Pledge of Allegiance, although not as patriotic.

To satisfy cat's hunger and happiness, Meow Mix Tender Centers™ cat food is available nationwide in Tuna & White Fish Flavors and Salmon & White Meat Chicken Flavors. For more information on Meow Mix Tender Centers™, consumers can visit www.MeowMix.com.

About Del Monte Pet Products

At Del Monte, our pet products nourish and enrich the lives of pets and pet parents by providing great-tasting, high-quality and innovative products for dogs and cats and by encouraging them to enjoy an active lifestyle together. 

With trusted brands including Meow Mix^®, Kibbles 'n Bits^®, 9Lives^®, Snausages^®, Pup-Peroni^®, Milk-Bone^®, Meaty Bone^® and Pounce^®, our products enrich the connection between people and the pets they love. 

As a premier provider of taste-oriented pet food and pet snacks, our products play a key role in the lives of millions of pet families everyday.

About Del Monte Foods

Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded pet products and food products for the U.S. retail market, generating approximately $3.7 billion in net sales in fiscal 2011. With a powerful portfolio of brands, Del Monte products are found in eight out of ten U.S. households. Pet food and pet snacks brands include Meow Mix^®, Kibbles 'n Bits^®, Milk-Bone^®, 9Lives^®, Pup-Peroni^®, Gravy Train^®, Nature's Recipe^®, Canine Carry Outs^®, Milo's Kitchen^® and other brand names. Food product brands include Del Monte^®, Contadina^®, S&W^®, College Inn^® and other brand names. The Company also produces and distributes private label pet products and food products.

For more information on Del Monte Foods, visit the Company's website at www.delmontefoods.com.

Del Monte. Nourishing Families. Enriching Lives. Every Day.^®

Kelton Research

Kelton Research is a full service market research consultancy with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Kelton serves as a strategic partner to both Fortune 500 corporations and smaller companies, utilizing a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to drive tactical recommendations for clients. For more information about Kelton's services, please visit www.keltonresearch.com.

Survey Methodology

The Meow Mix survey was conducted by Kelton between February 23rd and March 1st, 2012 using an email invitation and an online survey. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results.  In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

SOURCE Del Monte Foods