Del Monte Picks Winners

Del Monte Foods(DLM) has tied itself to a couple of winners.In a coupon ad,the company celebrated Disney Pixar's(DIS) release of Ratatouille on DVD and Blue-ray Hi Def.It also offered a five dollar rebate if you buy five cans of Del Monte vegetables and a Ratatouille DVD or Blue-ray.This proved to be a clever choice,since Ratatouille promptly went to the top of the DVD chart.The ad encouraged people to eat healthier and get more exercise.The Wolfe family,YMCA members,are shown preparing a meal with Ratatouille himself."Just One More,"the Del Monte healthy living campaign,is a proud supporter of YMCA Activate America.Nor is Del Monte limiting its health promotion to humans.On the flip side of the ad,we see a cat licking its chops while imagining a shrimp."Think like a cat.Think fresh.Think Meow Mix.Made with REAL Poultry and Seafood!"Meow Mix has its own website,where you can enter a contest and win"a culinary adventure with celebrity chef Cat Coral."DLM has committed itself to the health of the whole family."Foods of Del Monte.Nourishing families.Enriching lives.Every day."These tie-ins and slogans appeal to young families.Del Monte is making itself an element of their lifestyle.With DLM's substantial distribution network and shelf space,they will have no trouble finding the Del Monte foods they want.Carl Marker of IMS lists Del Monte as one of his top five stock picks.In this morning's trading,Del Monte shares were up five cents to 10.02.This consumer staple stock looks appealing in light of a National Association of Business Economics forecast released yesterday.One in five economists surveyed sees greater than a 50% chance of a recession.The median growth forecast is 1.5% for the fourth quarter.Gross Domestic Product for 2008 is pegged at 2.5-down from 2.8.Seventy-eight percent of Americans think the economy is getting worse.