Consumers are navigating a fast-changing information environment where AI-generated content, misinformation, and constant digital noise make it harder than ever to earn attention and trust.

Join CommPRO and HUNTER: INTELLIGENCE for a virtual Midday Intelligence Briefing exploring insights from the agency’s 2026 Annual Consumer Trends report. The conversation will uncover the most relevant consumer trends shaping consumer behavior today, dictating how they engage with brands and media in this ever evolving landscape.

The report points to several emerging patterns in consumer behavior. Many people are searching for authenticity and experiences that feel real. Others are moving past the quick dopamine hit of social media in favor of deeper knowledge and substance. New hybrid gathering places known as “Fourth Spaces” are beginning to blend digital and in-person community. At the same time, consumers are embracing playful moments of surprise in everyday life and pushing wellness and self-optimization to new levels.

HUNTER: 2026 Trends & Definitions

During the session, we will explore what these signals mean for communications, marketing, and brand storytelling. The goal is to help communicators better understand what audiences are looking for now and how brands can show up in ways that feel relevant, credible, and human.

HUNTER: Speakers

Heddy DeMaria
Chief Insights & Strategy Officer

Since joining HUNTER in 2019, Heddy has stewarded best-in-class insights, measurement and strategy practices across the entire agency and each of its client partners. As HUNTER’s first-ever Chief Insights and Strategy Officer, she oversees a passionate team of analysts and planners who leverage HUNTER’s proprietary insights processes and extensive toolkit to ensure the agency’s communication strategies are always grounded in data and research, culturally relevant, and designed to earn consumer attention and drive quantifiable business results. She has also developed a range of strategic workshops including building brand foundations, identifying value propositions, clarifying corporate culture & purpose, and strengthening brand stories, each employing proprietary tools and techniques, that ultimately lead to stronger brands positioned on a path towards growth. Heddy brings 25+ years of experience to HUNTER, having held leadership roles across multiple disciplines including consumer insights, shopper insights, brand strategy, innovation and advanced analytics, all while working across a diverse range of business models and product sectors that have spanned global corporations (Kraft, VF-Corp), entrepreneurial ventures (Pinnacle Foods) and global agencies (Nielsen Marketing Research)

Jennifer Upshaw
Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning

Jennifer drives strategic brand planning with a focus on consumer brands. Curious and analytical, Jennifer is a natural “builder” of strategies inspired by what’s shaping consumer behavior and the world at large. You’ll catch her finding opportunities that link Stanley’s brand’s purpose and values with consumer wants and needs.

Client Experience: Tabasco, Bacardi, Sperry, Red Bull, Le Creuset, Victoria’s Secret PINK.

Archana Iyer
Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning

Archana Iyer is a strategy leader with global experience spanning 16 years across agencies like Weber Shandwick, BODEN, DDB and ConcentricLife. She joins HUNTER as EVP, Strategic Planning. Her signature approach blends logic + magic through data and insights to craft powerful strategic stories. She has worked across categories such as CPG, Tech, Beauty, Consumer Healthcare and Beverages & Spirits. Her client roster includes Fortune 500 companies like McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Microsoft, Amazon, Molson Coors, Neutrogena, GSK-Haleon, Pernod Ricard, Nespresso, Unilever and more. She believes in creating work that moves culture forward. Archana's accolades include winning multiple Effie Awards for her outstanding strategies, and she recently served as a judge at last year's Effies. She has shared her insights at notable platforms like SXSW, Sweathead, and Fortune Magazine. She holds a degree in Communications Management from MICA, India and studied Data Analytics at NYU. A fun fact about Archana is that she writes poetry and has performed at the New York Poetry Festival. She lives in Cranford, NJ with her husband and pet cava-tzu, Ginger.

Maddie Lena
Director, Strategic Planning

Maddie Lena leads HUNTER’s xVoice programs, overseeing end-to-end strategy, content development and optimization to elevate executive presence across owned and earned platforms. She builds executive POV platforms from the ground up, conducting voice audits, identifying whitespace, developing narrative frameworks and creating always-on content engines tailored to LinkedIn and other priority channels. Maddie partners closely with C-suite leaders to translate business priorities into timely, insight-driven thought leadership that drives engagement, strengthens credibility and supports broader communications goals. She works across banking, technology, insurance, healthcare and hospitality, crafting narratives that position leaders at the forefront of industry conversations. Prior to HUNTER, Maddie joined KWT Global in 2020 after beginning her career in media as an editor at ESPN. She has developed content strategies for national brands including ATI Physical Therapy, Radisson Hotel Group, Whole Earth Brands, Cheba Hut and Wine & Design.

Lila Hutcherson
Creative Strategist

Lila Hutcherson is an experienced creative storyteller and strategic thinker dedicated to understanding audience nuances and applying those insights to brand communications.

At KWT Global, Lila contributes to ongoing projects for a variety of clients, providing both strategic support and creative direction. Prior to joining KWT, Lila worked as a Creative Strategist at Dell Blue, the in-house creative agency for Dell Technologies and Alienware. During her two years at Dell Blue, she crafted engaging creative briefs for product launches, global campaigns, website pages, and out-of-home campaigns, providing relevant audience and market insights that drove creative conception. She also served as a social media specialist, staying on top of social media trends and best practices, and communicating this information internally through interactive workshops.

Lila earned a Bachelor of Science in Advertising with a Minor in Business from the University of Texas at Austin. While there, she completed the Texas Immersive program, a three-class sequence that teaches students how to create innovative solutions to real-world problems through immersive storytelling.