Episode 37: Blend In and Die: The Truth About FMCG Design

Most marketers obsess over campaigns, but forget about the battleground of the shelf.  In this episode Steph Quantrill and Ben van Rooy sit down with Matt Grantham, Creative Director at OnFire Design, to unpack why packaging is often doing more heavy lifting than your entire media budget. From supermarket psychology to category-breaking brands, Matt brings global experience across FMCG, challenger brands, and retail design. Matt breaks down the game of retail -  survival, perception, and sales in a brutally competitive environment where you’ve got seconds to win.  What You’ll Learn in This Episode • Why packaging often becomes the last lever before delisting and what that reveals about brand health  • How category codes shape consumer behaviour and when its okay to break them   • What drives real ROI in packaging beyond short-term sales spikes and into long-term loyalty  • Why most packaging briefs often try to do too much and how to focus on what matters  • How challenger brands win by owning one distinctive idea and sticking to it Bonus Nuggets  • The “husband test” for packaging clarity and why it’s brutally effective  • How peanut butter went from commodity to premium through packaging and positioning Call to Action If your packaging had to win the sale without your marketing, would it even stand a chance? Resources mentioned • Stickybeak – https://www.stickybeak.co.nz  • OnFire Design – https://www.onfiredesign.co.nz Connect with the creators, and hosts mentioned: • Matt Grantham – https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-grantham/ • Ben van Rooy – https://www.linkedin.com/in/benvanrooy/ • Stephanie Quantrill – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-quantrill/ Explore more from Canned: • Canned the Marketing Podcast: www.cannedmarketing.com • Cue Marketing: www.cuemarketing.co.nz • Human Digital: www.humandigital.com Timestamps 00:00 Intro to packaging as a marketing channel  03:30 Small budgets, big creative thinking from marketing panel  05:00 Supermarket behaviour and unfamiliar category cues  07:00 Meet Matt Grantham and design background  14:00 Why brands come to designers when sales drop  16:00 Product vs packaging and the reality of performance  18:30 Category codes vs breaking the rules  21:00 The ROI of packaging and loyalty effects  23:00 The 3–5 second shelf decision  25:00 Distinctiveness and “ugly but effective” design  27:00 What makes a strong packaging brief  30:00 Brand assets and visual shortcuts for consumers  32:00 The husband test and clarity in design  34:00 Design trends and the rise of maximalism  36:00 Food trends shaping packaging decisions  38:00 What marketers need to bring to the table  41:00 Why packaging can’t do everything  43:00 Format, structure, and physical design constraints  45:00 FMCG vs premium packaging realities  46:00 Closing thoughts on complexity and craft This episode is basically a reality check for marketers. You can pour millions into media, but if the pack doesn’t earn the pick-up, you’re just funding awareness for your competitor. www.cannedmarketing.com  Stephanie Quantrill - Linkedin Ben Van Rooy - Linkedin