FAQs

What is Shade Tactics?

Shade Tactics® is a brand strategy framework — and a full-service strategic consultancy — built on the belief that brands should be more than personalities. They should have psyches.
Our proprietary system translates analytical psychology into practical brand architecture, helping companies build identities that think, feel, and evolve.

How does Shade Tactics work?

The framework is built around five psychological components that mirror the structure of the human psyche:

  1. Shroud – The outward identity (visual system, tone, presence)

  2. Helm – The brand’s strategic mind (decision-making and campaigns)

  3. Anchor – The core self (purpose, philosophy, and truth)

  4. Darkling – The shadow (what the brand is not; the anti-self)

  5. Echo – The audience (the mirror that completes the psyche)

Each component is paired with an archetype — drawn from Jungian theory — to create a brand system that governs design, messaging, product, and experience.

What makes Shade Tactics different from other brand strategy methods?

Most agencies build personalities. We build psyches.
Where traditional frameworks define surface-level traits (“bold,” “authentic,” “friendly”), Shade Tactics defines the underlying architecture that makes a brand alive.
It integrates psychology, symbolism, and cultural behavior — not just marketing language — to engineer brands capable of evolution, contradiction, and connection.

Who is Shade Tactics for?

Shade Tactics is built for brands that are entering their next era — scaling, evolving, or redefining themselves.
We work with founders, leadership teams, and creative directors who value depth, precision, and long-term adaptability over short-term aesthetics.

What industries do you specialize in?

Shade Tactics has been applied across fashion, CPG, beauty, tech, wellness, and media — anywhere human emotion meets design.
We specialize in complex brand ecosystems where visual identity, narrative, and product strategy must operate in sync.

What do clients receive?

Deliverables vary by scope, but every Shade engagement includes:

  • Shade Discovery — Archetypal mapping and competitive psyche analysis

  • Archetype ID Codex — The brand’s five core archetypes defined in detail

  • Visual Identity Index — Translation of Shade into visual systems

  • Verbal Identity System — Voice, tone, and narrative frameworks

  • Darkling Redlines — Strategic boundaries that define what the brand is not

  • Echo Experience Manual — Customer experience and emotional engagement strategy

  • Doctrine — A living brand manual uniting all Shade components

Is Shade Tactics a one-time strategy or an ongoing system?

Both.
The Shade framework is designed to evolve with your brand. The Anchor remains constant — it’s your truth — while the Shroud, Helm, Darkling, and Echo can shift as your brand grows.
Most clients revisit their Shade annually to align future campaigns, launches, or cultural shifts.

How long does the process take?

Timelines depend on scope:

  • 4-bit Shade – 6 weeks (core identity & archetype strategy)

  • 8-bit Shade – 8 weeks (brand book & archetype application)

  • 16-bit Shade – 10+ weeks (full system & strategy)

  • 24-bit Shade – 12+ weeks (comprehensive brand psyche build with experience design)

Who developed Shade Tactics?

Shade Tactics was developed by Raina Dayne and Jona Grey, who combined analytical psychology, product development, and creative direction into a system that bridges philosophy and execution.

Can we license the Shade Tactics framework?

Shade Tactics is proprietary intellectual property.
Partnerships, licensing, and training opportunities are available for approved agencies, consultants, and in-house brand teams.

How do I start?

We begin with a Shade Discovery Session — a 90-minute consultation that maps your current brand psyche and identifies the gaps between your vision and expression.
From there, we recommend the tier and timeline best suited to your goals.