M&A Design Integration
Building a connected brand ecosystem after Tendo’s acquisition of MDsave
Connected Marketplace
Tendo Marketplace as new umbrella brand
MAINTAINING EQUITY
Preserving consumer trust and awareness for MDsave
NEW BRAND LAUNCH
Introducing Care Connect for a new audience
Project summary
Following the acquisition, Tendo needed to integrate an established healthcare marketplace without losing the equity MDsave had built with consumers and provider partners.
The challenge
MDsave had expanded beyond its consumer marketplace to include provider tools and an employer offering in early development. After the acquisition, Tendo needed a clearer way to organize these experiences, communicate their relationship, and bring legacy materials into the Tendo brand.
The goal was not to replace MDsave. It was to preserve its established equity while creating a broader system that could support distinct consumer, provider, and employer audiences.
Defining the Brand Architecture
Tendo Marketplace did not exist at the time of the acquisition. It was developed as the overarching brand connecting the company’s bundled-care marketplace and its different audience experiences.
MDsave remained the consumer-facing brand, retaining its familiar name and core experience. The emerging MDsave for Employers offering required a more significant change. While “save” resonated with consumers seeking affordable care, it created less positive associations for employers and providers, where it could suggest discounting or reduced value.
The offering became Care Connect, giving it a distinct position for employers, health systems, TPAs, and care navigators while maintaining its connection to the broader Marketplace.
I translated this architecture into logo guidance, ecosystem diagrams, and overview materials that gave internal and external teams a consistent way to explain how the brands worked together.
EVOLVING WITHOUT LOSING EQUITY
MDsave had meaningful recognition among consumers and provider partners, so the transition required evolution rather than replacement.
Working within the structure of the existing website and limited engineering resources, I developed a visual reskin that introduced Tendo’s color system and an endorsed logo relationship while preserving the familiar MDsave experience.
Extending the System
I extended the updated system across consumer emails, social campaigns, patient education materials, and the storefront providers used to order collateral for waiting rooms and other patient touchpoints.
Creating a Distinct Employer Experience
As MDsave for Employers evolved into Care Connect, the brand needed to communicate a more complex value proposition to employers, health systems, TPAs, care navigators, and employees.
I helped establish a cohesive visual and communication system for the new offering, including launch content and a flexible employer toolkit. The toolkit equipped employers and navigators with practical materials for introducing Care Connect as a benefit and helping employees understand how to access care.
Building Systems for Adoption
The combined organization also needed practical tools that allowed teams to work within the Tendo brand quickly and consistently.
I developed Tendo’s official presentation template, a library of editable iconography, and repeatable resource center templates. Together, these tools created a shared visual foundation for teams across marketing, sales, product, and implementation.
Project impact
The work helped turn a complex acquisition and evolving product portfolio into a more coherent brand ecosystem.
Tendo Marketplace created a unifying structure, MDsave retained the equity it had built with consumers and providers, and Care Connect gained a clearer identity for the employer market. Reusable tools and templates helped teams carry the system forward consistently across channels and audiences.
Brand architecture
Campaign development
Creative direction
Design systems
Presentation design
Print + partner communication
Visual identity evolution