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  • Hoist & Crane team member at a work site with the words "Raising expectations. Elevating people."
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    Raising Expectations: How Hoist & Crane Elevated Its Digital Presence

    As an agency, we spend a lot of time talking about elevation—elevating brands, leveling up digital experiences and boosting engagement. But for Hoist & Crane Service Group, elevation isn’t a…

  • Harbour Group marketing collateral
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    Aligning Harbour Group’s Brand With Its Foundation & Future

    Harbour Group didn’t need reinvention—they needed alignment. How we updated the brand and website to match a company built on decades of trust.

  • A large sign and 3-D production of the Alberici logo bring the brand to life at the company's headquarters
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    Full Circle: Bringing Brand to Life in St. Louis’ Most Sustainable Office

    Most teenagers don’t tour corporate office buildings for fun. But I wasn’t a typical 15-year-old. Vice president of my high school’s Environmental Club, I hung out after school planting gardens…

  • A person walks past a multi-panel digital billboard with tech infrastructure company Lightedge's new brand identity

    Lighting the Way: The Tech Merger Brand Story of Lightedge and Connectria

    Mergers can be like marriages—thrilling and risky, combined with serious discussions around identity, responsibilities and who makes better coffee.  When Lightedge and Connectria tied the corporate knot, they needed an…

  • An Atomicdust team member holds a laptop with the Secure Data Technologies website

    Building a Website (and Trust) With Secure Data Technologies

    Owning a business is difficult. Owning your brand identity is even harder—especially as a designer. For me, nothing is ever good enough. Even when I personally make it. Do you…

  • Warehouse management system branding for InfoPlus on a billboard

    How a Rebrand Put InfoPlus Clients at the Center of Everything

    Pandemic-era shortages showed us all how fragile supply chains can be, from production and warehousing to shipping and last-mile delivery. InfoPlus sits at the center of the mayhem. As a…

  • Our Thinking

    Ideas on branding, marketing and web design.

    View all insights
    • The Future of Brand Strategy Is Rooted in the Past

      The Future of Brand Strategy Is Rooted in the Past

      Why timeless design principles still matter in a world obsessed with trends. The Problem with Modern Branding A…

    • Why Your Brand Sounds Like Everyone Else’s (And How Brand Voice Development Can Save You)

      Why Your Brand Sounds Like Everyone Else’s (And How Brand Voice Development Can Save You)

      You know that sinking feeling: You’re reading your competitor’s website, and the messaging sounds… familiar. Too familiar. You…

    • Your Competitor Rebranded. Now What?

      Your Competitor Rebranded. Now What?

      The notification pops up on LinkedIn: Your biggest competitor just dropped a rebrand. It’s sleek. Bold. Everywhere. Your…

    • A Repeatable Marketing Strategy Framework

      A Repeatable Marketing Strategy Framework

      Originally published in February 2015. Rewritten in July 2026, because AI changes marketing execution. When I first became…

    • We Rewrote Our Healthcare Marketing Guide for the AI Era

      We Rewrote Our Healthcare Marketing Guide for the AI Era

      Back in 2016, we published a guide called Content Marketing: A Guide for Healthcare Marketing Managers. It told…

    • Rebranding versus Brand Strategy: Knowing Which One Your Business Actually Needs

      Rebranding versus Brand Strategy: Knowing Which One Your Business Actually Needs

      A client call last week reminded me of a question I hear all the time: rebranding versus brand…

    • Brand Due Diligence: The Risk You’re Not Measuring

      Brand Due Diligence: The Risk You’re Not Measuring

      This is for my friends in private equity. From my experience, private equity firms stress-test everything. Cap tables.…

    • Marketing Planning for 2026: Everything You Need to Know

      Marketing Planning for 2026: Everything You Need to Know

      Recently, the American Marketing Association St. Louis Chapter asked me to speak on a panel about marketing planning—specifically,…

    • The Future of Brand Strategy Is Rooted in the Past

      The Future of Brand Strategy Is Rooted in the Past

      Why timeless design principles still matter in a world obsessed with trends. The Problem with Modern Branding A…

    • Why Your Brand Sounds Like Everyone Else’s (And How Brand Voice Development Can Save You)

      Why Your Brand Sounds Like Everyone Else’s (And How Brand Voice Development Can Save You)

      You know that sinking feeling: You’re reading your competitor’s website, and the messaging sounds… familiar. Too familiar. You…

    • Your Competitor Rebranded. Now What?

      Your Competitor Rebranded. Now What?

      The notification pops up on LinkedIn: Your biggest competitor just dropped a rebrand. It’s sleek. Bold. Everywhere. Your…

    • A Repeatable Marketing Strategy Framework

      A Repeatable Marketing Strategy Framework

      Originally published in February 2015. Rewritten in July 2026, because AI changes marketing execution. When I first became…

    • We Rewrote Our Healthcare Marketing Guide for the AI Era

      We Rewrote Our Healthcare Marketing Guide for the AI Era

      Back in 2016, we published a guide called Content Marketing: A Guide for Healthcare Marketing Managers. It told…

    • Rebranding versus Brand Strategy: Knowing Which One Your Business Actually Needs

      Rebranding versus Brand Strategy: Knowing Which One Your Business Actually Needs

      A client call last week reminded me of a question I hear all the time: rebranding versus brand…

  • Didion Branding and Website Design by Atomicdust

    Revolutionizing a Legacy: Preparing DIDION’s Brand and Website for the Future

    In the world of family businesses, there’s a myth known as the “three-generation rule.” This idea suggests that many family-owned companies fail by the time the third generation takes the…

  • Illustration representing commercial construction website design
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    Eight Key Benchmarks for Your Commercial Construction Website

    If you’re in the commercial construction industry, it’s unlikely someone is going to hire you based solely on a visit to your website. That’s bold talk from a construction website…

  • The Atomicdust team discusses B2B lead generation strategy with notes on a whiteboard

    Is Your Lead Generation Campaign Missing Something?

    I’ve never met a B2B marketer who wasn’t concerned about lead generation. It’s usually the reason B2B marketers exist—sure, we need to build brand awareness, create compelling messaging and foster…

  • Alberici logo
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    Modernizing a Construction Brand for Alberici

    Alberici has built some of the most complex and important structures in North America. We’re talking critical infrastructure like water treatment plants and heavy industrial production lines, and highly technical…

  • Independent media agency True Media's new brand identity and tagline, "Find What's True"

    Embracing Authenticity: The Story of True Media’s Rebrand

    You’ve been there. Sometimes an idea seems too obvious. Too on the nose. You push it out of your mind. You look at the problem from a thousand angles. You…

  • Crane Agency insurance branding

    Guiding a Century-Old Insurance Pioneer Through a Brand Evolution

    If you’ve watched TV lately—the old-school kind with ad breaks—chances are you’ve encountered an ad for insurance. It may have featured a small green gecko, a catchy jingle or my…