The Good Thinking Blog
Here is a collections of thoughts, insights, and inspiration the MPAD have in life and work.
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02.04.2024
Blogging Basics: How to Start a Blog
Crack the code of successful blogging with our step-by-step guide, and embark on a journey that could transform your passion into profit.
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23.05.2018
Why are you here? Opportunities for charities to create communications that count.
If you go by media reports then 2018 has been tough for charities. We’ve had the Oxfam, Save the Children and President’s Club scandals that, if you believe reports, have rocked the sector. On top of this, the new chair of the Charity Commission – Baroness Stowell – has said that: “People now trust charities […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
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04.03.2018
How Tom’s dadvertising combines awesome UX and a fear of death
Appreciating the quality of a company’s UX (user experience) and UX content while feeling a strong sense of mortality is not an everyday occurrance. However, that happened to me just the other day when I was stopped in my tracks by a targeted Facebook advert (or dadvert) for Tom.co.uk. Tom.co.uk has a simple mission: to […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
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07.07.2017
Cornish Creatives Collaborate to Grow Out of County Contracts
Two Cornish creative agencies have joined forces in order to grow business on a national and international scale. Leap, based in St Austell, and Truro-based MPAD will collaborate on projects in the charity, health, education and sustainability sectors. The alliance was forged by Leap director, Matt Hocking, and MPAD director, Mark Picken. […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog, Uncategorized
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06.07.2017
School Dinners
My youngest daughter starts school in September (her big sister is already in the same school). As part of the settling in period the new starters, and parents, were invited to have lunch at school. I heard one of my fellow parents say that going into the dining room at lunchtime is one of the […]
The Good Thinking Blog
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30.06.2017
MPAD is 18
I was at an event in Exeter last night and bumped into an old acquaintance from Falmouth who runs a very successful Cornish company. As the presentations were about to start, he nudged me and said: “You do realise that we’re now in the elder statesmen bracket of businesses in Cornwall!” My immediate response was, […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
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22.05.2017
We ♥️s The ‘Diff
It’s always great to see a campaign that has a simple and powerful message that makes a positive impact. On a trip to Wales over the weekend, we came across a stand in a shopping centre in Cardiff displaying some really cool prints. Further inspection, as well as a clear and concise introduction from one […]
The Good Thinking Blog
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07.02.2017
Five Reasons We Love UX
UX (user experience) is becoming a significantly more important part of the work we do to help clients have a positive impact. Here’s five reasons why we love UX: Understanding users With 7 billion now on the planet, the chances of marketing to everyone are pretty limited, so it’s important to know […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
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01.02.2017
Creative Inspiration
MPAD’s creative director, Mark, took some time away from the office for a few days to take in the sights in London and get some creative inspiration. Here’s a few highlights….. Installations at the Tate Modern William Shakespeare street art near The Globe Theatre Interior at The Loft bar […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
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11.02.2016
What’s your problem?
Designers are taught from the start that the problem is defined before anything else. So when I came across this pillow that incorporates a mobile phone, the question needs to be asked, what is the point? The twitter post on Design Milk was liked by many. However, should the designer be putting their talents to more meaningful […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
consumerism. design. process. thinking. -
10.02.2016
Six Things I Learned From My Car Getting Stuck In Storm Imogen’s Flood Water
So, I took my girls on a Daddy Daughter road trip to rural Devon on Saturday afternoon to stay with some old friends. It was pretty horrendous journey on the A30 and I was looking forward to getting off the main road and on to the farm lanes away from surface water and spray. It’s […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
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27.01.2016
MPAD Predicts The Future
As an integrated communications agency, we’re lucky enough to have a wide variety of talents and interests buzzing around at MPAD Towers. There’s so much value to come from discussing things as a group, so every now and again we like to rack each other’s brains to try and work out just what’s happening in […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog, Uncategorized
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07.01.2016
What’s in a name?
When setting up a charity, business or social enterprise, one of the most important decisions to make is coming up with the name. Furthermore, if you have already been established but your name is out-dated or doesn’t represent your service, when and how should it be changed? There are a number of influencing factors during […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
branding. names. words. -
25.11.2015
MPAD managing director Gets Chartered
The head of Cornwall-based communications agency MPAD is one of the first PR practitioners in the UK to gain Chartered status under a new assessment scheme. Rachel Picken joined eight other PR professionals at the Chartered Institute of PR on Monday (November 23) in London to gain the accreditation through a pilot Chartership Assessment Day. […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
Chartered. CIPR. Public Relations. -
06.11.2015
#ManOnTheMoon
We’ve carved pumpkins, crowded around bonfires and “ooo’ed” at fireworks, which means one thing: Christmas adverts are a go! Over the years there’s been some brilliant adverts from the big guns in retail, usually involving a heart wrenching story line or adorable animals, but this year one particular organisation has really impressed us. John Lewis’ […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog, Uncategorized
Advertising. Video. -
21.10.2015
TEDxTotnes
Designer and Account Manager, Matthew Stone, wrote the following blog piece following the TEDxTotnes event earlier this month. Happy reading… [View the story “TEDx Totnes 2015” on Storify]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
ideas. Tedx. Totnes. -
16.09.2015
Fashionable Tanks
© Leon Neal / AFP Fashionable Tanks It’s happened to all of us: we’re just settling down in front of the telly after a long day at work and suddenly we see an advert that completely changes our mood. Immediately our minds have turned from our dinner to the subject of the advert. We’re trying […]
MPAD News, PR & Marketing, The Good Thinking Blog, Uncategorized
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04.09.2015
The politics of language and the language of politics
Banksy © Language is an essential part of communication, the words we choose not only convey a verbal message but they are signifiers of the person we are and the person we wish to be perceived as. MPAD became acutely aware of the scale of the Syrian refugee crisis nearly three years ago, whilst […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
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22.08.2015
Accidentally Patronised: How it’s possible to share parenting and run a business while being forced to listen to Taylor Swift
I feel the need to be be sat in a circle of people, stand up and say: “I am a Dad and I am capable of looking after both my daughters at the same time without all hell breaking loose.” Since my eldest daughter, Olivia, was three months old, I have been doing one day […]
The Good Thinking Blog
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23.07.2015
Rhiannon Jenkins: My Week at MPAD
Last week we were joined by the lovely Rhiannon Jenkins from Penair School as part of her year ten work experience. With a passion for graphic design and (as we discovered very quickly) a real skill for copywriting, it’s been an absolute pleasure having Rhiannon on our team. Here’s what she had to say about her week […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
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10.06.2015
Research Led Innovation
Innovation has always been one of those ‘catchwords’ that large corporations have to include within their set of values. But what is innovation? Is it a creative idea, an agile process, a strategic approach? Or, a combination of all three? Being innovative doesn’t just mean brainstorming or coming up with eccentric new ideas. Those ideas […]
MPAD News, The Good Thinking Blog
design. ideas. innovation. research.