Welcome to the future.

Present Day. Future.

SHADE TACTICS

8-bit: The Foundation Package

Shade Tactics was born from the idea that future brands need more than clarity—they need capacity. Brands today must shapeshift, adapt, and connect on deeper levels to survive. Shade Tactics isn’t built for yesterday’s market—it’s engineered for the future.

THE SHADE. THE TACTIC.

SHROUD 
outward identity
Visual Identity System 
Brand Voice & Tone
HELM 
self-awareness & strategy
Strategy | Positioning
ANCHOR 
unchanging foundation
Brand Manifesto
Core Mission, Vision, and Values
DARKLING 
rejects/Fears
What the Brand Will NOT Do
Brand Risk Assessment
Audience Exclusion Criteria
ECHO 
the audience 
Customer Insight and Personas

 THE SHADE

Shroud | Helm | Anchor | Darkling | Echo

  • ➤ What it is: The brand’s outward appearance—how it presents itself to the world.
    ➤ Inspired by: Carl Jung’s Persona

    The mask we wear to adapt to society’s expectations.

    ➤ In Shade:
    Shroud defines the public-facing identity of a brand: its voice, aesthetic, tone, and immediate impression.
    It’s the part that audiences see first—what attracts, entices, and intrigues.

    ➤ Shroud Controls:

    • Visual identity

    • Verbal identity (voice, tone, messaging)

    • Marketing expression

    • Campaign direction

    • First-touch storytelling

    Think of it as the brand's "mask"—a conscious projection

  • ➤ What it is: The brand’s strategic mind—the navigator.
    ➤ Inspired by: Jung’s Ego

    The center of willpower, decision-making, and identity.

    ➤ In Shade:
    Helm is the seat of logic, strategy, and intention. It drives how the brand thinks, makes decisions, and grows.
    It’s the conscious steering mechanism that integrates both internal and external information.

    ➤ Helm Controls:

    • Strategic thinking

    • Positioning

    • Market approach

    • Decision-making frameworks

    • Business development

    Helm is your brand’s rational compass, setting course while weighing risk and reward.

  • ➤ What it is: The brand’s unchanging core—the soul.
    ➤ Inspired by: Jung’s Self

    The integrated, whole self that connects the conscious and unconscious.

    ➤ In Shade:
    Anchor is the core belief system—the foundational identity that never changes, no matter how the brand evolves externally.
    It holds the other four components together.

    ➤ Anchor Controls:

    • Brand philosophy

    • Purpose and meaning

    • Core values

    • Long-term consistency

    • Internal alignment

    The Anchor is the immutable truth of the brand. It’s not what the brand sells—it’s what it stands for.

  • ➤ What it is: The brand’s shadow, hidden tension, or internal conflict.
    ➤ Inspired by: Carl Jung’s Shadow

    The unacknowledged parts of the psyche—both weaknesses and untapped power.

    ➤ In Shade:
    Darkling is the inverse of the brand’s identity. It’s not just what the brand struggles with—it’s also what the brand is not.
    This contrast helps define the edges of the brand and reveals depth that makes it human, complex, and real.
    It’s also the source of mythic, antagonist energy—what the brand opposes, what it fears becoming, or what it must constantly resist.

    ➤ Darkling Controls:

    • The brand’s core tension and contradiction

    • What the brand is not (non-identity, anti-values)

    • Narrative depth and emotional stakes

    • Crisis response tone and authenticity in vulnerability

    • The mythic “antagonist” energy (what you exist to challenge or overcome)

    By identifying what the brand is not, the Darkling creates clarity, contrast, and narrative gravity.
    Without shadow, there’s no silhouette.

  • ➤ What it is: The brand’s emotional resonance—how it’s perceived, felt, and loved.
    ➤ Inspired by: Jung’s Anima/Animus

    The soul’s complement and conduit—how we relate, desire, and form connection.

    ➤ In Shade:
    Echo is both the emotional mirror and cultural amplifier. It represents:

    1. The audience’s deep, often unspoken reasons for attraction—why they’re drawn to the brand, what emotional need it fulfills.

    2. How the audience in turn influences the brand through interaction, demand, and reflection.

    It uses psychological tools (like Love Languages and Attachment Theory) to design the brand’s relational style—how it expresses care, maintains loyalty, and adapts its tone over time.

    ➤ Echo Controls:

    • Audience insight and emotional triggers

    • Brand receptivity and attunement to cultural feedback

    • Customer experience and relational tone

    • Loyalty and retention systems

    • The why behind audience attraction

    • How the audience shapes or evolves the brand

    Echo doesn’t just ask: “Who do we speak to?” It asks:
    “Why do they love us? How do we love them back? And how do they change us?”

Product
Development

Preliminary research is often the most underestimated phase, but it’s the base layer of successful product development— you have to chew on an idea for a while before it’s ready to stick.

TIMELINE

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

  • Week of April 7 – April 11

    • April 7: Client onboarding

    • Define brand goals, audience, and market position

    • Competitive audit and inspiration gathering

    • Begin assigning Shade archetypes

    Product Development:

    • Explore product vision, core SKUs, priorities

    • Identify constraints: ingredients, materials, sourcing

    • Align CPG category and go-to-market format (e.g. set, kit, hero product)

  • Week of April 14 – April 25

    • Finalize all Shade archetypes

    • Develop brand narrative and key messaging

    • Naming: Exploration, shortlisting, selection

    • Voice, tone, story architecture

    • Product Development:

      • Lock final SKU list

      • Confirm product details (ingredients, specs, flavor range, etc.)

      • Begin prototyping/sourcing if needed

      • Prep data for packaging: volumes, net weights, claims

    By end of Phase 2: product finalized and ready for packaging design input

  • Week of April 28 – May 16

    • Logo concepts and refinement

    • Type, color, and imagery system

    • Build core brand elements

    • Lock identity by May 16

    Packaging Design Begins:

    • Use finalized product specs to create dielines

    • Packaging layout + visual design

    • Labeling copy and compliance

    • Art direction for lifestyle/product photos

  • Week of May 19 – June 13

    • Package structure + dielines finalized

    • Layout design and copywriting

    • Mockups and refinements

    • Final print files delivered to vendor by June 14

    • Target print deadline: June 21–28

    This allows a 3–4 week window for printing/shipping, ensuring you receive final packaging before launch.

  • Week of June 2 – July 18

    • Content outline + wireframes (start June 2)

    • Design mockups based on brand visuals

    • Copywriting based on strategy docs

    • Web development begins mid-June

    • Final testing and QA

    • Website launch: July 26

  • July 1 – July 19

    • Full social media strategy (content buckets, cadence, engagement plan)

    • Create launch templates + first 6–12 posts

    • Influencer identification, incentives, and outreach strategy

    • Finalize marketing plan + financial planning

    • Support materials for partnerships, press, gifting

  • July 1 – July 19 (parallel with marketing)

    • Create sales deck + wholesale line sheet

    • Set up pricing/margin structure

    • Guide for outreach to reps, boutiques, showrooms

    • Optional: Prep for trade shows / fairs

  • July 22 – July 26 (Week 16)

    • Website goes live

    • Packaging in-hand

    • Socials launch

    • Brand files delivered (Brand Archive, templates, deck)

    • Final presentation or wrap-up call

    • Launch party optional ;)

BRANDING
Deliverables

  • Shade Tactics Framework (Core Strategy Document): This document defines the brand's psychological and strategic foundation by detailing its Shroud, Helm, Anchor, Darkling, and Echo components. Each archetype is thoroughly explained, illustrating its influence on brand messaging, positioning, and perception.

  • Brand Personality & Tone of Voice: This component establishes the tone, language, and style the brand should use in communication, defining the emotions the brand should evoke and ensuring alignment of messaging across various channels

  • The Archetype Identity Codex: A personality framework that constructs a cohesive, multi-dimensional brand identity. It delves into each archetype's effect on brand storytelling, design, and voice, aiding in character development by defining the brand as a living persona with distinct traits, backstory, and worldview.

  • Audience Personas & Brand Engagement Strategy: This includes detailed audience personas and guidelines for engaging with different customer types. It covers demographics, psychographics, emotional triggers, behavioral insights, and maps the customer journey to identify brand touchpoints and communication strategies for each stage.

  • Competitive Analysis & Market Positioning: A research-backed analysis that identifies where the brand fits within its market and how it differentiates from competitors. It defines who the brand is not (clarifying positioning), identifies market gaps, and formulates a clear positioning statement and unique selling proposition

  • Narrative: Messaging & Voice Development: This structured messaging framework is designed for use across branding, marketing, and communication. It articulates the core brand message, develops taglines and value propositions, and provides guidelines for compelling storytelling and brand narrative

  • 8-bit Visual Identity System: A detailed guide outlining the brand's visual identity strategy, including color psychology, typography, shape language, imagery guidelines, and overall brand aesthetics. It comprises a curated color palette, typography system, and custom logo design that embodies the brand's core identity and outward personality

  • Brand Archive: This repository includes various logo files in multiple formats and variations, typography files (if applicable), color palette specifications, and graphic elements such as brand patterns, textures, icons, and illustrations.

Important links and docs

Brand Strategy & Product Discovery Questionnaire

this is the first step in building the foundation for your brand using our Shade Tactics. It’s totally okay if you don’t have answers to everything yet—this is meant to spark clarity, not stress. Just fill it out as fully and honestly as you can. Your responses will directly guide our work in Phase 1, including assigning Shade archetypes, defining the brand’s soul, and beginning product development.

Supplement Brand Research

This is a research and concept development document for a functional supplement brand focused on mood, mental health, sleep, and performance—potentially using innovative ingredients like Kanna, Kava, and adaptogens in gummy or gum form—exploring holistic wellness, personalization, and bold branding to differentiate in the market.

The Master
Document

We’ve set up a Master Project Doc—a shared Google Doc where we’ll collect all our working thoughts, inspiration, links, early drafts, strategy notes, and anything else that helps shape the brand as we go.
Think of it as our collaborative thinking space. It’s not meant to be polished—it’s where we’ll explore ideas, capture brainstorming, and track progress in real time before anything is finalized or formally delivered.

SHADE TACTICS

  • Competitive Analysis: Gum-Based Supplement Brands in the U.S. (Energy, Nootropic & Calming)

    Shade Analysis: Gum-Based Supplement Brands

    Competitive Overview of Leading Gum Brands in the U.S. Market

    Shade Tactics Analysis: The Top 5 Mainstream Gum Brands

  • This Shade positions the brand to disrupt and take market share by rejecting the clinical, performative tone of both supplement and mainstream gums—offering instead an emotionally intelligent, quietly rebellious alternative that speaks directly to the overlooked majority craving relief, not optimization.

    • Shroud: Harlequin
      Outwardly playful, weird, and irreverent. Uses humor and charm to disarm a category that takes itself too seriously.

    • Helm: Mother
      Makes strategic decisions based on emotional well-being, care, and compassion.

    • Anchor: Anarchist
      Core belief: the system is broken. This brand exists to challenge the norms of wellness, gum, and functional products.

    • Darkling: Sovereign
      Deep fear of becoming rigid, institutional, or controlled. Resists hierarchy, conformity, and selling out.

    • Echo: Wallflower
      Resonates with the quietly rebellious—overlooked, overstimulated individuals who want to feel seen without needing to be loud.

    This brand exists for the quietly rebellious—the ones who are overstimulated, overlooked, and over it. Where other gums shout about energy and performance, we whisper something truer: you don’t need to push harder, you need to feel better. With irreverent charm and unexpected care, we offer gum that disrupts the system with softness. It’s not just sugar-free—it’s bullsh*t-free. We make something to chew on when the world is too loud, too fast, too much. This isn’t wellness for the optimized. It’s a small act of resistance—for people who want to feel human again.

    Download The Presentation

  • TRADEMARK NAME LEGAL COMPARISON (CLASS 5 + 30: U.S. & CANADA)
    1. Fiix

    • USPTO Risk: Moderate – Phonetically close to “Fix,” which has historical use and connotations in both wellness and confectionery (e.g., “get your fix”). It may be viewed as suggestive.

    • CIPO Risk: Low – No direct matches found. Canadian examiners may still consider phonetic similarity but are generally more lenient with stylized or modified common terms.

    • Distinctiveness: Moderate – Doubling the "i" helps make it more brandable and distinguishable from “Fix,” but it's still somewhat close in sound.

    • Phonetic/Visual Conflict Risk: Moderate – “Fiix” may raise red flags due to its similarity to existing wellness-related terms.

    • Legal Verdict: Viable trademark candidate if used with stylization (e.g., custom font, compound brand name). Consider pairing with a second word (e.g., Fiix Labs, Fiix Calm).

    2. Byt

    • USPTO Risk: Low – No Class 5 or 30 conflicts found. "Byt" is an invented word, making it highly registrable.

    • CIPO Risk: Low – Clean in Canadian records as well. Zero overlap with known supplement or confection brands.

    • Distinctiveness: Strong – This is a fanciful mark, which is the highest tier of protectable trademarks.

    • Phonetic/Visual Conflict Risk: Low – Despite sounding like “bite” or “byte,” it’s spelled uniquely and isn’t likely to be confused with tech brands or health products.

    • Legal Verdict: One of the strongest options. Highly defensible, versatile, and available for use across wellness, gum, and supplement branding.

    3. Dōs

    • USPTO Risk: Low – No similar or conflicting wordmarks found in relevant classes. Stylization with the macron (ō) gives it an arbitrary, brandable quality.

    • CIPO Risk: Low – No phonetic or direct spelling issues in Class 5 or 30. Clean slate.

    • Distinctiveness: Strong – Though it phonetically nods to "dose," the stylization turns it into a fanciful mark, making it more registrable.

    • Phonetic/Visual Conflict Risk: Low – Not enough overlap with common marks to cause confusion. No prior refusals noted.

    • Legal Verdict: Excellent trademark candidate. Stylized and sleek, especially strong if filed as both a word mark and stylized logo.

    4. Doce

    • USPTO Risk: Moderate – “Doce” means “sweet” in Spanish and Portuguese. Under the Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents, the USPTO may consider it descriptive if the product is a sweet edible (like gum).

    • CIPO Risk: Moderate – While Canada’s two official languages are English and French, examiners may still flag descriptiveness if the meaning is obvious and relevant to the product.

    • Distinctiveness: Moderate – The word itself is common in other languages, but not in English. It’s brandable in North America, but you may face challenges proving distinctiveness.

    • Phonetic/Visual Conflict Risk: Medium – If targeting Spanish/Portuguese-speaking markets, there may be cultural expectations tied to the word “Doce.”

    • Legal Verdict: Moderately risky. Might succeed if used for supplements (less sugary) or in stylized/compound form (e.g., Doce Labs, Doce Effect). Avoid for anything overtly candy-like.