Background
I first connected with François Burra in 2022, after we both finished the Terra.do climate program. I had followed his work in digital sustainability, and we stayed in touch over the years. So when the chance came up to work on the brand strategy, positioning, and content for the new home of his work, a digital sustainability studio called Decarbonade, it was a very easy yes!
François had an excellent track record, real clients, and a clear point of view. My job was to give the overall brand a sharper edge. I defined the brand positioning, values, tone, services framework, and content direction. The goal was a refreshed brand and website that would bring in the right clients, people who share Decarbonade's mission. It also had to sit right alongside the visual identity work by Nico Paries at Heylow.
Mapping the market
I started by mapping the market to see where Decarbonade could stand apart.
The mid-market was wide open. The largest enterprise firms were out of reach for most organizations on cost alone, which left room for a credible option serving mid-size clients who needed both strategy and build under one roof.
Being Canadian-founded was an advantage, especially for public sector and Crown corporation procurement, where domestic preference carries weight.
North American AI sustainability advisory was largely uncontested in early 2026, but there was no guarantee it would remain that way. That made it the moment for Decarbonade to lead the space.
There was one more gap. Very few organizations were both AI consultancies and technology builders. Most picked a lane. Almost nobody was addressing both a client's AI footprint and their broader digital footprint as a single practice, and that was the gap Decarbonade could step into.
Purpose
Decarbonade's purpose is to help organizations build digital technology that gives back more than it takes, so the systems we all rely on stop costing more than they should.
The tagline reflects this: digital that gives more than it takes. It reframes what technology is supposed to do. Most tech marketing promises more. More speed, more power, more features. This one asks whether it's giving back as much as it takes. It sounds like something you'd say about a relationship rather than a product. It carries naturally into French, which matters for a French Canadian founder. And it will still be true in five years, whatever regulations pass or tools emerge.
Values
The brand strategy sets five values for Decarbonade:
Honesty about fit, over winning the work
Real numbers, over hype
We say it plainly, even when jargon would sound smarter
Build capability, even though dependency pays better
We won't sell sustainability as a sacrifice, because it isn't one
Voice and tone
The strategy also set a clear voice, built on four key principles:
Human, direct, and plain-spoken
We write like human beings talking to other human beings. We say what we mean in as few words as possible.
Confident, without being showy
Decarbonade has strong expertise and an international track record. We let our work and the clarity of our writing carry that.
Clear, especially on the hard stuff
Some topics, like AI, don't have simple answers, and we don't pretend they do. We give the nuance, but we don't hedge.
From strategy to website
This was a full brand strategy engagement that ran all the way to the refreshed website. I set the positioning, built the services framework, and defined the content strategy, then wrote all the website copy. Every page carries the voice and tone we set, and shows why Decarbonade is worth calling.
“Shane has a rare knack for putting into words what you've felt for years but never managed to say. He gave us a clear sense of where to focus, then articulated the essence of Decarbonade and what makes our work different. He took all of that and turned it into a brand strategy we could build on, then carried it right through into the website, telling our story in a way that feels true to us and speaks to the clients we want to reach. I can't wait to work with him again.”