What Consumers Want Now and What It Means for Brands Right Now

Consumers are not just overwhelmed, they are making choices differently, and going into our recent CommPRO midday intelligence briefing with HUNTER’s leading Insights + Strategy team, that was the lens we brought to the conversation, because we are all feeling it. AI is accelerating content at a pace we have never seen before, misinformation continues to blur what is real, and the always-on nature of our world is making it harder for brands to show up in ways that actually build trust.

What came through in the discussion is that this is not just noise, it is a shift.

Audiences are becoming far more selective about where they spend their time, more skeptical about what they believe, and more intentional about the experiences they choose, and that changes the job for all of us in communications in a very real way.

The conversation brought together an exceptional group from HUNTER: Intelligence, including Heddy DeMaria, Chief Insights and Strategy Officer, Jennifer Upshaw, EVP, Strategic Planning, Archana Iyer, EVP, Strategic Planning, Maddie Lena, Director of Strategic Planning, and Lila Hutcherson, Creative Strategist, and what stood out most is that this was not theoretical, everything shared is already showing up in how people are behaving right now.

One of the strongest points came from Jennifer Upshaw, EVP, Strategic Planning, who talked about “Real Feels,” which could not feel more relevant right now. People are tired of anything that feels manufactured. They are questioning what they see and are looking for signals that something is actually real, whether that is in what they are buying, what they are reading or who they trust. Brands can no longer simply say the right thing anymore. They have to show it clearly and consistently. That also means resisting the temptation to chase the next trend or conversation purely for visibility. The moments that matter most are the ones where a brand’s values, purpose and expertise naturally connect to what is happening in culture, providing a genuine reason to be part of the story. That kind of authenticity is what gives real meaning and ensures that engagement builds trust rather than noise.

At the same time, something else is happening that many of us are seeing in our own habits, people are pulling back from the constant scroll, and as Heddy DeMaria, Chief Insights and Strategy Officer, shared, there is a growing appetite for content that actually teaches, informs or gives perspective, not just something that fills a feed, which is why we are seeing more interest in long-form content, expert voices and niche communities, and for communicators, that is a reminder that substance matters again in a very real way.

Another idea that stood out is the rise of what they call “Fourth Spaces,” which Maddie Lena, Director of Strategic Planning, walked through, and it resonates, because so many of the platforms that were built for connection now feel more like entertainment, and people are looking elsewhere for real interaction, often in smaller, more intentional environments that bring digital and in-person experiences together, and what that means for brands is that the role is shifting, it is less about pushing messages and more about creating opportunities for people to connect with each other.

There were also two trends that, on the surface, feel very different but actually connect in a meaningful way, and that is what Lila Hutcherson, Creative Strategist, and Archana Iyer, EVP, Strategic Planning, shared around “Whimsical Living” and “Health Maxing,” because on the one hand people are looking for small moments of joy, something playful, something that breaks up the stress of the day, and on the other, they are pushing themselves harder than ever when it comes to health and performance, tracking everything, optimizing everything, trying to regain a sense of control, and taken together, it says a lot about where people are right now.

What we set up going into this conversation was a shift toward authenticity, depth and more intentional experiences, and what this discussion made clear is that this is already happening, and it has real implications for how we approach our work.

Earning attention is harder, but also more meaningful, because it has to be relevant.

Building trust takes more than messaging, it takes consistency and credibility over time.

And storytelling, while still central, has to be grounded in something real, whether that is an experience, a point of view or a tangible value exchange.

For communications leaders, this is where the shift is, it is about understanding how people are feeling, not just what they are doing, and showing up in ways that respect that, because in a world that increasingly feels synthetic, what stands out is what feels human.

If there is one clear takeaway from this conversation, it is that these trends are not abstract, they are actionable, and for anyone looking to go deeper, the HUNTER: Intelligence 2026 Annual Consumer Trends report offers a more detailed look at the forces shaping behavior and how brands can respond in ways that feel credible, relevant and human.