Book a call

Insights

Ideas and insights on branding, marketing and web design.

Latest articles

All Atomicdust Insights Atomicdust News B2B Marketing Construction Marketing Consumer Marketing Culture Education Marketing Featured Food and Beverage Marketing Healthcare Marketing Non-Profit Marketing Professional Services Real Estate Marketing
  • Chicken Meets Rice branding on takeout containers

    Comfort Food with Character: The Branding Journey of Chicken Meets Rice

    It’s a classic, versatile pairing in cultures around the world: chicken and rice. But there’s a specific chicken-and-rice dish that’s particularly popular in Singapore, Malaysia and much of southeast Asia.…

  • Porano Pasta fast casual brand identity

    Relaunching a Local Favorite: Gerard Craft’s Porano

    They say “All good things must come to an end.” And maybe that’s true. But I’d argue “All great things must come back.” At least that’s the case for Porano,…

  • Billy G's Finer Diner restaurant branding and logo over a birds eye photo of a retro car doing donuts in a parking lot

    Designing a Finer Diner Brand for Billy G’s

    It’s hard to find a good breakfast spot in Chesterfield, Missouri. At least, that’s my opinion, as a kind-of foodie and Chesterfield native. Not that it’s low on options—it’s home…

  • A hand holds the Andy's Anywhere Pick 6 carrier case with Atomicdust's packaging design

    Packaging Design on the Go for Andy’s Frozen Custard

    When your brand is built on a delightful in-person experience—how do you encourage customers to recreate that feeling at home? That’s the problem Andy’s Frozen Custard was hoping to solve.…

  • GoGo Cluckers Branding

    GoGo Cluckers: A New Restaurant in Your Driveway

    (Disclaimer: This was an April Fools’ joke. Proceed with caution.) A very wise man (Account Director Jesse McGowan’s Dad) once said that “The secret to getting rich is to nail…

  • Happy Batch cookies on a yellow background

    Happy Batch Branding from Scratch

    The cookie aisle at the grocery store is a pretty fun place to be. (I don’t get out much lately.) If you, like me, find yourself wandering the cookie aisle,…

  • 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…

  • Loaded Elevated Nachos fast casual branding

    The Adventures of Loaded Nachos & Fast-Casual Branding

    I was on a new business call this summer, walking up and down my driveway, listening to what I thought was an inconceivable idea for the summer of 2020: someone…

  • Juxtaposition of the Wheelhouse Web Design during Day Mode and Night Mode

    Hidden Features in Web Design: Turning on Party Mode for Wheelhouse

    Every website project is different. I’ve been a developer for about a decade, and each website project I’ve worked on (and probably every website I’ll ever work on) has been…

  • Atomicdust team working on Ron Rubin website designs

    How Storytelling Brought Life to Ron Rubin Brands

    Sometimes, especially in the context of branding and website design, the oh-so-trendy concept of “storytelling” goes a little too far – even more so in the wine and beverage business.…

  • Recess St. Louis Branding Airbowling

    Branding for Recess – Making Saturday Every Day

    “Do you know what makes a city great? A little weirdness. We need to do something weird.” It’s an idea I heard from a colleague and good friend of mine…

  • Small Circle Cookbook branding food photography

    Serving Up Branding for Small Circle

    The first thing that you should know about this story is that R.J. Hartbeck is an idea machine. I’ve known R.J. for a couple years now, and every time we…

  • Best New Restaurant St. Louis Branding

    Four Atomicdust Clients Win Sauce Magazine Readers’ Choice 2019 Awards

    We’re never surprised when our clients get recognized for the great work they do, but it’s always fun to celebrate. Sauce Magazine just published its 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards, and…