Tandem Global
“It’s been an incredible journey, and we’re so grateful for your partnership in bringing Tandem Global to life. Your guidance and expertise were invaluable throughout the process.”
– Monica Leal Keller (Chief Marketing Officer of Tandem Global)
Building a Brand at the Intersection of Business and Nature
Client: Wildlife Habitat Council and World Environment Center
Project: Tandem Global Brand Development and Public Launch
For decades Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and World Environment Center (WEC) had been helping companies take meaningful action on biodiversity, climate, water, and nature. But it was in 2024 that they made a consequential decision: to combine their organizations into something greater than either could be alone.
The combination made strategic sense. WHC brought deep technical support and on-the-ground expertise. WEC brought thought leadership and significant industry weight. Together, they had the potential to become the definitive partner for companies seeking to align their business and environmental interests.
But first, they needed a name — and a brand — worthy of that ambition. Mission Partners was engaged through 2024 and into 2025 to lead that work, from discovery to launch.
The Approach:
Ground Every Decision in Research
We began not with naming, but with listening. Before a single name concept was developed, Mission Partners conducted a full communications and landscape audit, assessing how WHC, WEC, and peer organizations communicated their purpose, audiences, and value.
We then went deeper, conducting in-depth interviews and engagement with more than 50 constituents — staff, Board members, and partners across both WHC and WEC. Those conversations surfaced critical insights that would anchor everything that followed.
From there, our work unfolded in four phases across nearly a year:
Naming development: We facilitated naming strategy sessions across the combined entity, developed more than 15 name concepts and related taglines, coordinated with legal counsel and advanced three of those concepts through deeper testing. We then presented recommendations to both Boards and secured unanimous Board approval on the final name by late October 2024.
Messaging and brand: With the name confirmed, we developed a comprehensive message framework — articulating why the combined organization exists, how it works, and who it serves — alongside visual brand recommendations to support the new identity.
Brand Book: We translated the messaging and visual direction into a brand guide and conducted staff-wide trainings to prepare the full organization for launch.
Public launch: We developed and executed a phased communications strategy, moving from internal relationship-building in December through a soft rollout in January and February to a full public announcement on February 25, 2025.
The Results:
A Launch That Landed
On February 25, 2025, the combination of Wildlife Habitat Council and World Environment Center launched publicly as Tandem Global — a name chosen to reflect both the organizational origin story and the core belief that business and the environment must move forward together.
As the new message framework made clear:
“There is nothing more vital or essential than safeguarding and stewarding our resources. It’s true for everyone and it’s true for business. Without a nature mindset there will be no business to do.”
Every public message tied to the brand launch received a positive response, and organizational leadership heard from peers and partners immediately with messages of resounding support. The name and its narrative resonated across owned channels, external communications, and within the organization itself — a reflection of the care taken to root every decision in what this combined community actually valued.
Key outcomes included:
More than 100 people engaged in the brand discovery process
15+ name concepts and related taglines developed; 3 advanced through testing
Unanimous Board approval to move forward with the Tandem Global name
Development of a comprehensive new Brand Book
100% positive public response to brand launch communications
In the days and weeks following launch, Tandem Global released a new website, and its profile began to rise as a trusted, leading NGO that provides the platform and the know-how for companies to align their business and environmental interests.
