In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Barry Ryan of Thirst.
Barry is a seasoned marketer turned L&D advocate and is the Head of Marketing at Thirst, the learning platform built for SMEs. With a deep background in B2B marketing, Barry is on a mission to help L&D teams think more like marketers to drive real impact and boost learner engagement.
In this episode, Barry talks Brigid through how to apply marketing principles to L&D.
Barry covers the core challenges L&D professionals face and how to overcome them, including:
- Know your audience: How to create and use learner personas to ensure you’re not "shooting in the dark."
- Content is king, but relevance is queen: Why great content is useless if it doesn't solve a problem for your learners.
- Engagement funnels equal learning journeys: Practical tips on how to build campaign momentum using hooks, segmentation, strong visuals, and repurposed content.
- Social proof and internal advocacy: Using testimonials, success stories, and internal influencers to build trust, credibility, and a fear of missing out (FOMO).
- Measure what matters: Moving beyond completion rates to track metrics like engagement, behaviour change, and long-term retention to prove and increase L&D's value.
Barry gives practical advice on how to build and manage learning campaigns and highlights the commonalities between marketing and L&D. If you are looking to drive engagement with your learning, this is a must-listen-to episode.
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LinkedIn.
What is The Assembly?
The Assembly: Where L&D Minds Assemble
The future of workplace learning doesn’t live in theory — it lives in lived experience, fresh research, and honest conversations.
That’s what The Assembly delivers.
Hosted by Adam Lacey, Co-Founder of Assemble You and digital learning veteran, and Brigid McCormack, a newcomer to the world of L&D, this is your go-to space for rich, real talk on what’s driving L&D forward.
In each episode, you’ll find:
Richer insights that go beyond surface-level tips to unpack what really works in learning today
Expert perspectives from leaders shaping the L&D landscape
Access to new research on tech, methods, and innovations defining tomorrow’s learning culture
Practical strategies you can use right now to build essential skills like leadership, communication, and adaptability
Whether you’re designing programs, shaping strategy, or driving culture change — if learning is your thing, this is your podcast.
Formally known as L&D Challenges.