
Advertise on podcast: A Slice Of - Packaging Design
This podcast has
45 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Slice DesignExplicit
No
Date created
2023/03/24
Latest episode
2026/08/24
Average duration
7 min.
Release period
44 days
Description
Packaging design can make or break how consumers see and understand your brand. On average, a medium-sized UK supermarket may stock around 30,000 to 40,000 individual products. That a lot of choice! So what is it that makes us pick up the products up and part with our hard earned cash? In each episode, ‘A Slice Of’, will take a look at a supermarket brand and critique the packaging design to find out what works, or doesn’t. What makes you desire them, or even hate them? Website - https://slicedesign.co.uk LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
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Check latest episodes from A Slice Of - Packaging Design podcast
A Slice Of... How to feed back to your design agency (No. 44)
2026/08/24
When it comes to feeding back to your packaging design agency, what is the best way?
Feeding back on designs can be a very tricky process. Especially if there are multiple levels of sign off within the company. How do you amalgamate all of the feedback in a single minded way?
How do you ensure that none of the feedback contradicts, that it is consistent and captures all of the key points objectively rather than subjectively?
From point of view of the client, you may have to collate information from multiple stakeholders.
From an agency side, some of the lead design routes could get thrown out at an early stage just because there’s one minor component that isn’t liked by the client. Often, with a few slight tweaks these issues can be ironed out and the design developed rather than have an entire big idea confined to the dustbin because of one element.
How to feedback efficiently and effectively is an age old problem and a conversation I have a lot with clients.
In essence, most problems can be solved, that is as long as you understand what the problem is. The key is to find a good way of defining exactly what the issue is.
Here is our tried and trusted method that we use at Slice design. It’s not a fancy trademarked process, but a simple approach we like to use that is rooted in both logic and reason.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #sustainability
A Slice Of... How to get your brand naming right (No. 43)
2026/06/23
When it comes to launching a brand, getting your brand name right can be the difference between success or failure?
In today's competitive marketplace, effective brand naming is a crucial element of successful product marketing and brand strategy.
A well-crafted brand name can significantly impact consumer perception, product recognition, and overall brand success. This article explores the best practices in brand naming, highlighting its importance in conveying product identity and consumer benefits, while also addressing potential pitfalls to avoid.
A memorable brand name is indeed "gold dust" in the world of marketing. It serves as the primary identifier for your product, facilitating both consumer requests and recommendations. As a key component of your brand's identity, the name becomes a powerful tool for brand recall, combining visual and verbal elements to create a lasting impression.
The name you choose for your brand should be an integral part of a wider design ecosystem. Consistency across all brand touch points is paramount, ensuring that the tone of voice and visual representation align seamlessly with the chosen name. This cohesive approach strengthens brand recognition and helps build a strong, unified brand identity.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #sustainability
A Slice Of... What does sustainability actually mean? (No. 42)
2026/05/15
When it comes to packaging design, what does sustainability or being sustainable actually mean?
So, what exactly does 'sustainability' or to 'be sustainable' actually mean when it comes to packaging for consumer goods?
Is it about the carbon footprint? Is it about the energy consumed at manufacture? Is it about how the products are packaging, recycled and disposed of, or is a mixture of all?
If you asked most consumers, or even experts in the industry what it means to 'be sustainable', they’d be hard-pressed to answer.
The simple truth is, if you pin down a consumer on actual carbon data and overall 'carbon saved' on one packaging format versus another they would have no idea whether this was a significant or moderate improvement.
I suppose this comes down to brands and especially manufacturers to educate consumers and explain exactly what some of these figures mean in real terms and also some of the trade-offs when it comes to trying to achieve them.
This conundrum was brought to light recently when the curiosity got the better of me and I decided to open up one of those snazzy paper wine bottles. The truth I found out is that its not strictly a 'paper bottle' but a clam shell covering a pouch.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #sustainability
A Slice Of... Why your back of pack is an integral part of the design system. (No. 41)
2026/04/15
Why you should see your back of pack as an integral part of the packaging design system. (No. 41)
The back of pack is an often underused and unloved part of the pack. The fact is, it is an important part of the design system.
With consumers becoming increasingly discerning and seeking more information to aid their purchasing decisions, the back of the pack has emerged as a crucial element in the brand storytelling process.
This podcast delves into the best practices and potential pitfalls associated with leveraging the back of the pack as a powerful marketing tool.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #colour
A Slice Of... Why is it important to establish a brand, rather than solely focusing on aesthetically pleasing packaging (No. 40)
2026/03/06
Why is it important to establish a brand, rather than just solely focusing on aesthetically pleasing packaging?
Why do I need a brand? This is something we get asked a lot, especially from Startups who don’t fully understand the benefit of having one.
A brand isn’t a logo, it’s not the colours you decide to use, it’s not what you call a product, it’s not how the product looks, it’s how your product is understood in the mind of the consumer.
In today's competitive marketplace, having a strong and well-defined brand is crucial for the success of any product or business. A brand is not just a logo or a catchy name; it's the way your product or service is perceived by your target audience.
A well-designed brand can help you stand out from the competition, build customer loyalty, and ultimately drive sales.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #colour
A Slice Of... The importance of creating a robust pack architecture (No. 39)
2026/01/22
The importance of creating a robust pack architecture in branding & packaging design
Getting your hierarchy right on pack can be the difference between standing out or disappearing on shelf.
Implementing a clear, cohesive brand architecture across core and extended products is imperative both for shelf standout and to aid consumer navigation. This architecture provides familiarity while introducing cues that differentiate offerings. Done correctly, it helps consumers navigate the range in an efficient way.
A solid architecture creates consistency. Customers appreciate it when a business has a consistent brand. In fact, consistent presentation of a brand has seen to increase revenue by 33 percent (Lucidpress, 2019).
So why is this important? It takes between 5-7 impressions to even start creating brand awareness. When creating packaging design, especially on large ranges or ranges with multiple offerings, brands should make sure they repeatedly emphasise the brand uniform and assets in a consistent way, as this will help recall.
Simply put, architecture defines were all the important bits should go.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #colour
A Slice Of... The importance of colour choice for packaging design (No. 38)
2025/11/20
The importance of colour choice in branding & packaging design
Colour is one of the most important elements of packaging design. Research shows that 52% of consumers first notice the colour on packaging before anything else.
The right use of colour in packaging can instantly guide consumers to a brand and convey key product qualities. When used strategically and consistently, colour is an impactful visual shortcut that builds brand recognition. However, the wrong colour choices can have the opposite effect.
This podcast covers best practices and watch-outs when working with colour in packaging design.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #colour
A Slice Of... When should I change or update my branding & packaging design? (No. 37)
2025/10/22
When should I change or update my branding & packaging design?
Most brand owners have been there and asked themselves this question. It’s really easy to get complacent and refuse the need for a change to your branding and packaging design because you’re either currently doing ok, or there is no budget. But when is the right time – when you are on the upwards slope or when you are sliding down?
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #freepitch #freepitching
A Slice Of... Why You Shouldn't Ask Your Agency To Free Pitch (No. 36)
2025/10/02
Why brands should never ask their packaging design agency to pitch for free.
If you ask a design agency to pitch creative ideas for free, are you approaching the project in the right way and are you going to get the best agency work back?
To free pitch or not, is something each design agency needs to decide based on the return for their initial creative investment.
If the win for the agency is a continued relationship and more paid work with a client over a bigger portfolio of products, then obviously the initial free pitch may be well worth it. The same may not be true, however, for a free pitch on a ‘one-off’ project.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #freepitch #freepitching
A Slice Of... Why Consumer Brands Should Consider Sonic Branding (No. 35)
2025/08/19
Why Consumer Brands Should Consider Sonic Branding.
What Does Your Brand Sound Like?
In an era of visual overload and shrinking attention spans, brands are constantly searching for new ways to cut through the noise and clutter. While many have a brand logo, tone of voice and robust graphical design system, a powerful tool is often overlooked: sound.
Sonic branding, also known as audio branding is the strategic use of sound to express and reinforce brand identity. From Netflix’s unmistakable “ta-dum” to the Intel chime or the "beep-bop-beep-beep-bop" of the F1 notification (thats the best I could manage), these aren’t just sounds they are instantly recognisable memory anchors, emotional triggers, and trust builders.
When done well, sonic branding becomes as recognisable as a logo or tagline. It’s about creating an identity your audience can hear and feel, even when your design system and brand logo aren’t present.
Today’s media landscape is increasingly audio-driven. From podcasts and audiobooks to TikTok and app notifications, sound has become a dominant force in how people consume content and connect with brands.
Here’s what makes sonic branding so effective:
Speed of recognition: Sound is processed faster than visuals, helping your brand become instantly recognisable.Emotional depth: Music and the human voice can evoke powerful emotions. Everyone recognises the Jaws theme! Quick recall is essential for building loyalty and trust. Cross-platform consistency: Whether it's a podcast intro or a TikTok clip, your sonic identity unifies your brand across formats, even when you can't see it.Future-proofing: As voice search and audio-first experiences grow, brands that don’t sound like anything risk being forgotten.
Sound has always been a shortcut for recognition. Think of the clatter of horse hooves, the ring of a church bell, or the buzzing of a wasp , your brain knows what these mean before you consciously think about it.
It’s the same in marketing. A distinct sound can tell your audience who you are, your values and what you stand for in miliseconds.
Research recently showed that nearly three quarters of Europeans recognise the Nokia ringtone and associate it directly with the brand, amazing eh? That’s the power of a well-designed sonic identity that makes the brand pop straight into the head of the consumer.
Visual branding will always be important. But in a world where people are listening just as much as they’re looking, your brand needs to sound as good as it looks.
Using these audio logos, the best marketers understand that audio is no longer optional, it’s a core part of storytelling and brand recall.
So, it’s time to ask, What does your brand sound like?
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #sounddesign #sonicbranding
A Slice Of... Why Brand Guidelines Are Important For Packaging (No. 34)
2025/07/09
The importance of creating robust brand guidelines in packaging design.
In order to be consistent, a brand needs to have a precise set of rules in place that dictate how it should be realised in any eventuality. That is where brand guidelines come in.
Brands that can successfully manage consistency have been proven to perform better and have higher recall from consumers.
Consistency and repetition is key. Brand engagement needs to happen between five and seven times for consumers to remember you.
A company's brand is one of its most valuable assets. It represents the business's identity, personality and reputation. Effective brand management is crucial for success. One of the key tools for managing a brand is the brand guidelines document. These are the rulebook for your entire brand. They offer a wealth of information to ensure consistency across all consumer touch points.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #AI #brandguidelines
A Slice Of... Why AI Can't Replace The Design Agency (No. 33)
2025/04/02
How AI can't replace the role of the packaging design agency.
This morning, on LinkedIn, I came across a post that genuinely made me pause.
It was from a reputable marketer, someone with significant industry clout and a track record of pretty solid thinking. They’d recently discovered a new AI-driven image creation platform and were clearly impressed. Fair enough, these tools are impressive. But the post ended with a rather sweeping statement questioning what value design agencies now added?!
Not just because it felt unnecessarily provocative, but because it came from someone who should understand the broader value of creative partnerships. For someone with that much experience to make such a public declaration was, frankly, surprising.
It made me wonder, what must the marketing teams reporting to this individual think? If that’s what they’re willing to say in a public forum, what messages are being reinforced internally? That creativity is now a commodity? That speed and aesthetics are more important than strategy and cohesion?
Nah, surely not!
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice #AI #artificialintelligence
A Slice Of... How To Be The Only (No. 32)
2025/03/19
How to not just be the best, but be the only brand for consumers.
Branding, is all about storytelling. It’s how you make an emotional connection with your consumer. Great stories, resonate and provide powerful recall that if crafted uniquely, can span generations.
Consumers will always buy a product because of how it makes them feel rather than based on simply what it does, or what it is.
"Don't aim to be the best, aim to be the only". Its a great quote I heard on a podcast recently by Kevin Kelly. It's a powerful statement that resonates, especially in the world of branding.
There are so many brands out there that claim to be the ‘best tasting’ or that use the 'best ingredients’ and my challenge back to these brands is that is not enough of a point of difference.
You can find our contact details below:Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/Slice Design Company websitehttps://slicedesign.co.uk#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice
A Slice Of... How To Brief Your Design Agency (No. 31)
2025/01/21
How to brief your packaging design agency to get the best results.
We’ve all heard the stories of agencies and designers being briefed on the back of a f*g packet or post-it notes. Briefings take many shapes and forms. Some are very thorough, others are very top line and need a lot of digging around work out the objectives.
You can only do a great piece of work if you get a great brief. By a great brief, what I mean is a very detailed explanation of what your key aims are along with any mandatories.
Now, whether you are designing a flavour extension to a product, or repositioning an entire range of FMCG products, the core principles of briefing remain the same. In order to make sure that you are happy with the deliverables, you need to pull together a ‘bobby-dazzler’ of a brief!
So, how do you go about doing this?
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website
https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice
A Slice Of... The Role Of The Design Agency Is Changing (No. 30)
2024/12/16
The role of the branding & packaging design agency is changing & agencies need to adapt.
This episode is an offshoot to the normal podcast. Instead of critiquing specific brands we going to look at more general advice for brand owners looking to make their brands stand out.
I plan to do one of these each month as an extension to the usual podcast.
In this episode we look at how the role of the packaging design agency is changing.
The design agency of the past was a creative powerhouse, revered for its artistry, craftsmanship, and ability to shape culture through eye-catching campaigns. But fast forward 10 to 20 years, and the role of the design agency is being challenged from all sides. In-house teams are growing, AI is accelerating processes, and clients’ expectations are shifting. It's no longer about creating the "prettiest" design—it's about impact, agility, and results. This transformation is redefining what it means to be a design agency in the modern era.
Gone are the days when a design agency’s core offering was limited to print ads, TV spots, and packaging. The traditional agency model revolved around proprietary processes, secret "big ideas," and long-winded pitches that dazzled clients with their creativity. Today, this model is being deconstructed.
The role of the agency has become more consultative, with a need for greater agility and hyper-specific expertise. It’s not about offering a “one-size-fits-all” process but rather tailoring every approach to fit the unique needs of the client. Agencies must now act as strategic partners, innovation hubs, and change agents—not just creators of beautiful imagery. Clients demand smarter, faster, and more impactful results, and agencies that cling to outdated models risk being left behind.
The role of the design agency is not dead, but it’s certainly different. Clients now demand more strategic thinking, faster turnaround, and greater accountability for commercial impact. AI is automating the labor-intensive parts of the process, while in-house teams are taking on more creative work themselves.
But here’s the sweet spot: Agencies such as here at Slice, operate as your external, in-house agency. We’re not bound by outdated agency models or rigid processes. We’re flexible, agile, and tailored to each client’s unique needs. We combine in-house efficiency with external perspective, ensuring that every solution is strategic, creative, and built to drive results.
You can find our contact details below:
Alan Gilbody on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangilbody/
Slice Design Company website
https://slicedesign.co.uk
#packagingdesign #packdesign #packaging #branddesign #branding #design #agency #designagency #drink #food #advice
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