BRAVE COMMERCE — Marzetti’s Michael Retta on Omnichannel Growth and Building Brands Beyond the “Host Food”

Podcast: BRAVE COMMERCE (Adweek)
Hosts: Rachel Tipograph (MikMak) & Sarah Hofstetter (Profitero)
Guest: Michael Retta, VP of Omnichannel Marketing at the Marzetti Company
Date: February 17, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the unique omnichannel growth strategies of the Marzetti Company, a food brand that excels in categories often overlooked in mainstream commerce conversations—like refrigerated dressings and frozen breads. Hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter are joined by Michael Retta to discuss innovation, digital commerce, the power of brand partnerships, and building brands that thrive even when they aren’t “the host food” at the dinner table.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

The Power and Challenge of Being an "Ancillary" Brand

• Not Being the Host Food: Marzetti brands rarely star as the centerpiece (“host food”) of a meal. Instead, they elevate side dishes, dressings, and accompaniments.

  • Michael Retta: “We are not the host food … as you think about your salads or your related occasions where dressings or dips can be a part of that, we believe that Marzetti is a superior product.” [07:34]

• Reframing Growth Opportunities: Rather than seeing their category as restrictive, Marzetti leans into making “every meal better,” focusing on products that complement main dishes.

  • Michael Retta: “It elevates that experience … which makes it exciting and extends the relevancy of both the categories and the products.” [08:23]

Demand Capture, Discovery, and Innovation

• Changing Nature of Discovery: Consumers are discovering new products through digital channels long before they get to the store.

  • Michael Retta: “So much engagement going on in advance of the store … if we can find ways to be relevant, whether it’s more tactical with the product, its inclusion in recipes, … we’re going to try to do that.” [09:41]

• Leveraging Retail Media and Content: The focus is on telling stories that are “engaging and culturally relevant,” combined with strong retail media strategies to close the loop from discovery to purchase. [09:19]

Strategic Brand Partnerships

• Collaborating with Host Brands: Marzetti finds success teaming up with other brands—especially those providing “host foods”—to build basket diversity and encourage complementary purchases.
  • Michael Retta: “We’ve seen partnerships with other brands that would be more of a standard host food in that occasion … leveraging the weight and relevance of larger partners can certainly play a role.” [11:04]
• Modern Basket Building: The goal is to get in front of consumers not just for a specific dish but as part of a broader meal or household shopping mission.

The Omnichannel & Digital Commerce Shift

• Pandemic as a Turning Point: Digital commerce was a minimal channel for Marzetti pre-2020. The pandemic forced rapid growth: eCommerce is now 16% of total revenue.
  • Michael Retta: “Our content was in dire need of update. … We really focused on getting our content right, getting our ratings and reviews situated, looking at our search strategies.” [13:48]
• Building Digital Fundamentals: Marzetti elevated its digital presence by improving product content, reviews, and search—basic yet crucial elements for online growth. [14:17]
• Value of Agility: The company’s willingness to try, iterate, and take imperfect steps fostered a committed, collaborative environment for digital transformation. [14:55]

Observing Commerce Trends & The Super Bowl

• Super Bowl Advertising Insights: Hosts note that omnichannel connections were lacking in recent CPG Super Bowl campaigns. Michael speculates that brands either assume consumers know where to find them or are overconfident in data-driven behavior. [15:57]
  • Quote: “If you're going to spend that amount of money … you certainly are in a room with smart people trying to think through the best ways to do it.” [15:57]
• Rise of AI and Tech Distractions: Fears that some marketers are too focused on shiny new objects like AI, missing opportunities for omnichannel experience. [17:05]

Portfolio Growth & The Power of Storytelling

• Flavor & Innovation Pipeline: Marzetti is investing heavily in culinary R&D, innovating with new flavors and acquisitions, like their recent purchase of a Japanese hot sauce. [17:55]

  • Michael Retta: “We have an incredibly strong culinary research and development arm … we’re going to continue to focus on making every meal better.” [18:02]

• License Partnerships: Beyond owned brands, Marzetti manages licensed products for Buffalo Wild Wings, Arby’s, Olive Garden, and more—broadening both reach and relevance. [18:34]

• Founder Stories as Differentiators: The company roots its brand stories in authentic origins (like the original Marzetti restaurant founded in 1896), which it sees as an underutilized growth lever.

  • Michael Retta: “I think Activation Wise is really trying to hone in on what are the reasons that we stand out and what stories we want to tell.” [19:20]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On embracing second place and learning:

  • Rachel Tipograph: “There is something to being in second, third, fourth, because you have the opportunity to learn from number one and then figure out what’s going to be your strategy to steal market share." [03:54]

• On careers being jungle gyms, not ladders:

  • Michael Retta: “I think it’s a Sheryl Sandberg quote about careers are not ladders, they’re jungle gyms. And that really resonates with me … some of my choices were driven by a genuine lack of not being sure of what I wanted, and others were very thoughtful.” [20:04]

• On bravery in career choices:

  • Michael Retta: “The bravest thing that I think I’ve been willing to do in my career is take a path less traveled … I stepped out of what would have been the next phase of a brand track to create a digital role within that org.” [23:27]

Timeline of Key Segments

• [02:14] Marzetti’s origin story and challenge as a non-host food brand
• [03:46] The power and pitfalls of being first, second, or last in business
• [06:01] The strategy behind “making every meal better” and focusing beyond the host food
• [09:05] How Marzetti leverages digital channels and drives discovery
• [10:45] Developing partnerships with host food brands and leveraging Instacart
• [13:25] Digital commerce’s rise at Marzetti post-pandemic, content improvements, and team building
• [15:14] Dissecting Super Bowl CPG advertising and omnichannel gaps
• [17:33] Future strategy: innovation, new flavors, and the importance of brand storytelling
• [19:34] Marzetti’s authentic founder stories as a brand asset
• [20:04] Michael Retta’s nontraditional career journey and the jungle gym metaphor
• [22:02] Where Michael looks for industry inspiration (conferences, networks, podcasts)
• [23:27] The bravest move in Michael Retta’s career

Takeaways for Commerce Leaders

• Owning a niche can be powerful: Brands don’t need to be “the main event” to drive substantial revenue and relevance.
• Omnichannel demands collaboration: Success requires blending compelling storytelling and data-driven retail media, plus agile partnerships—internal and external.
• Digital transformation starts with basics: Improving product content and team alignment laid the foundation for Marzetti’s eCommerce acceleration.
• Don’t undervalue founder stories: Origin tales can become effective modern marketing levers.
• Career bravery unlocks growth: Taking risks, embracing winding paths, and being open to nontraditional moves pays dividends.

This summary was created to provide full context, strategic insights, and highlight actionable moments for listeners and leaders in commerce and marketing.