A Slice Of - Packaging Design

Slice Design

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/

  1. A Slice Of... Why Consumer Brands Should Consider Sonic Branding (No. 35)

    19/08/2025

    A Slice Of... Why Consumer Brands Should Consider Sonic Branding (No. 35)

    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

    5 min
  2. A Slice Of... Why Brand Guidelines Are Important For Packaging (No. 34)

    09/07/2025

    A Slice Of... Why Brand Guidelines Are Important For Packaging (No. 34)

    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

    7 min
  3. A Slice Of... Why AI Can't Replace The Design Agency (No. 33)

    02/04/2025

    A Slice Of... Why AI Can't Replace The Design Agency (No. 33)

    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

    7 min
  4. A Slice Of... How To Brief Your Design Agency (No. 31)

    21/01/2025

    A Slice Of... How To Brief Your Design Agency (No. 31)

    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 fag 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

    8 min

About

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/