A few weeks back we shared the first part of our “The Top Content Marketing Trends to Follow in 2026 & The Predictions Shaping the Year Ahead” article, sharing the first 5 trends.

Here, as promised, is Part 2, where we share the leading research, expert insights, and industry predictions into a clear, actionable guide for the year ahead. Read on for more on trends 6-10.

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

At Thrive Marketing Ireland, to echo IWD’s words…“𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘈 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥.”

It’s a big ambition. But if you know us, you know we like to aim big.

With this year’s theme of 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗻, we recognise that progress isn’t accidental, it’s created.

We’re delighted to welcome Mairéad Callanan to the Thrive Marketing team as our new Graphic Designer and Creative Associate.

Mairéad brings extensive experience from both agency and in‑house environments, developing thoughtful, cohesive design work across print, digital, and marketing communications. Her approach blends strategic thinking with meticulous craft, ensuring every piece of work is not only visually engaging, but purposeful, consistent, and aligned to brand goals.

We’re Hiring: Part‑Time Graphic Designer / Creative Associate

We are looking for an exceptional Graphic Designer / Creative Associate, someone with a sharp eye, a bold imagination, and a hunger to create meaningful, standout work. 

This is a part‑time role (mornings Monday–Friday) to begin with. We want someone who will shape their place here, expand their remit, and grow into a full‑time role and future creative leadership position as the business continues to scale. 

You will collaborate with senior strategists, writers, marketers and clients across a diverse range of sectors, from charities and purpose‑driven organisations, to corporate clients, membership bodies and creative enterprises. 

If you’re someone who sees opportunity everywhere, who believes in beautiful and intentional design, and who wants space to stretch beyond traditional agency boundaries… Thrive Marketing is the place for you.

Content marketing in 2026 is entering a new era, one where AI is built into every layer of, audiences demand higher levels of authenticity, and trust becomes the defining differentiator for brands. The rules are shifting, discovery is fragmenting, and teams must evolve to stay relevant. 

Here in part one of our latest article, we distil the leading research, expert insights, and industry predictions into a clear, actionable guide for the year ahead. 

SMEs are entering 2026 with a unique challenge: the market is faster, noisier and more competitive, yet the potential for meaningful, sustainable brand growth has never been stronger. The organisations that will stand out aren’t the ones doing the most, but the ones
doing the right things with clarity and consistency.

At Thrive, we see the same pattern across every sector we work with, growth doesn’t start with scale, it starts with focus. Here are some ideas on how SMEs can build a brand that cuts through and keeps growing.

Welcome to our AI Hack, where we examine a key question or challenge faced by the charity sector and offer some expert advice. For this issue, we ask Jennifer Brennan, CEO of Thrive Marketing, “What are the key issues charities face when it comes to AI, and how can they tackle these?”

Marketing, communication and fundraising have never been more complex, or more critical. As we move into the final stretch of 2025 and begin to plan for 2026, organisations, and particularly those in the charity and not-for-profit space, are facing a wave of challenges that are reshaping how they connect, convert and grow both audiences, including donors, supporters and funders. The landscape is evolving fast and on top of that many are grappling to get their heads, hands and hearts around AI!

As we approach 2026, one thing is clear: marketing is no longer just about algorithms, automation, or analytics. It’s about human connection. In a world saturated with content and AI-generated messaging, brands that prioritise empathy, authenticity, and emotional resonance are the ones that stand out. 

Giving Tuesday 2025…Powered By Charities Institute Ireland 

In our ongoing collaboration with Charities Institute Ireland, we are proud to support them in the roll out and activation of the Giving Tuesday 2025 campaign.

This year’s campaign, powered by Charities Institute Ireland, shines a spotlight on the leadership, generosity, and impact of volunteer Boards of Trustees across Ireland.

We are proud to announce that our CEO Jennifer Brennan has become a member of the DCU Alumni Council.

"The DCU Alumni Community now numbers almost 120,000 graduates. We are a diverse community who are linked by the common bond of our experiences in DCU. Strengthening and extending this connection with Alumni is a priority for the University with the intent of DCU being a resource to Alumni and the Alumni community being a resource to DCU, as it delivers on its objective to transform lives and society. The Alumni Council exists as a bridge to assist in strengthening this connection and it is my great honor to serve as its current Chair" - James Corcoran, Chair of the Alumni Council

An annual marketing audit is one of the most powerful tools a business can use to sharpen its strategy, improve performance, and ensure its marketing efforts are aligned with organisational goals. In essence it’s an activity that will ensure competitive edge!

Yet, it’s often overlooked in favour of day-to-day marketing tasks, and very often placed far down on the to-do-list.

A marketing audit provides a structured review of all your current marketing activity, from brand positioning and messaging to campaign performance, audience engagement, and channel effectiveness (to name a few). It helps identify what’s working, what’s underperforming, and where opportunities lie. And most importantly what to stop.

Thrive Marketing Announces New Partnership with Grant & Funding Specialist Joanne Ryan

Empowering Organisations Across Ireland to Access Funding and Fuel Growth

Thrive Marketing is proud to announce a new partnership with Joanne Ryan, Founder of Trust Grant Writing, who joins the Thrive Associate Team as Grant & Funding Associate. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in Thrive’s mission to support purpose-driven organisations with not only strategic marketing solutions but also sustainable growth through access to funding.

Instagram has kicked off 2025 with a wave of updates that are reshaping how brands and creators engage with audiences. At Thrive Marketing, we’re always keeping an eye on the latest digital trends so you don’t have to. Here’s a roundup of the most impactful changes to Instagram so far this year, and what they mean for your business.

We are seeking a creative, dynamic, and proactive self-starter to join our team as a Marketing Associate. This part-time role offers the flexibility of hybrid work, requiring you to work mornings Monday to Friday, with occasional work outside these hours for events and external engagements. 

Mingle Ireland is a fresh and exciting social outlet where individuals can meet in a relaxed, informal environment. Founded by Fingal businesswomen Jennifer Brennan and Karen Thorpe, the events are designed to enable people to meet and connect, whether they are looking for a romantic connection, companionship or simply want to get out and about and beat that feeling of loneliness…