IIEX North America 2025: Purpose, Progress, and a People-First Future 

Driving Consumer Discovery: Our Session with Mars 

One of my proudest moments at IIEX was stepping onto the Yellow Stage with the incredible Emily Hallock, Sr. Manager of Global CMI at Mars Food, to present our session: "Driving Consumer Discovery: Innovation Strategies with Mars." 

As Customer Success Director at Product Hub, I (hi, I’m Tasneem Dalal—Tas!) had the opportunity to share how we’re entering what we call the Discovery Era—a time where emotional connection, novelty, and personal relevance are reshaping how people engage with products. 

Emily brought powerful examples from Mars Foods, showing how brands like Ben’s Original are capturing attention through innovation that feels both fresh and familiar. From Street Food-inspired ready meals to acquisitions like Kevin’s Natural Foods, Mars is leaning into consumer trends around thrill seeking, trust, and personal growth. 

I was excited to show how Product Hub supports this journey by enabling fast, agile, tech-enabled product testing that meets consumers’ evolving expectations. We’re not just measuring what people like—we’re helping brands understand why they connect, and how to build on that emotional resonance. 

Key takeaways from our session: 

• Discovery is thrilling—it gives people a sense of adventure, exclusivity, and curiosity. 

• Innovation from trusted brands carries more weight—it feels exciting, but safe. 

• Personal growth is a motivator—consumers want products that help them feel bold, capable, and connected to their evolving selves. 

This session wasn’t just a professional milestone for me—it was a chance to stand onstage and affirm everything I believe about modern research: it should be fast, fearless, and deeply human. Discovery isn’t a trend. It’s the future. 

From Fraud to Frameworks: Repairing Data Quality  

Sessions across both days emphasized a long-overdue shift in tone: from fear to frameworks. The conversation around data fraud is finally moving from complaints to construction. 

In sessions like "Rebuilding Trust" and "Unmasking Fraudsters", we heard practical solutions—like Random Digital Recruitment (RDR) and real-time respondent validation—that aim to fix the root of the problem, not just the symptoms. 

Roddy Knowles, Steve Male, Sam Pisani, Chuck Miller, and Tia Maurer all shared bold thinking around how to protect the integrity of our insights, because bad data doesn’t just waste budgets, it erodes consumer connection. 

Play, Imagination & Inclusive Innovation 

From Brynn Frawley at Mattel reminding us that play is strategic, to Jennifer Spindler and Justine Bassman at Understood.org applying universal design to support neurodiverse consumers, this year’s sessions made it clear: inclusion is the new innovation. 

The best research doesn’t just reflect our world—it makes it more accessible, expressive, and imaginative. 

Protein, Purpose & Personal Relevance 

Even category-specific talks, like StarKist’s session on protein innovation, linked back to deeper themes: evolving health values, the demand for convenience, and the need to understand real consumer behaviors. The threads of personalization and purpose ran throughout.  strategic storytellers. AI will drive productivity, yes—but also force us to become better synthesizers and translators of meaning. 

What It All Means for Product Hub  

For me, IIEX 2025 was a validation that we’re on the right path—but we still have work to do. 

At Product Hub, we’re not just building a platform. We’re building a new way to partner with consumers—faster, smarter, and more empathetically. Whether it’s co-creating a product, ensuring equity in testing, or scaling what works, our mission is to support discovery with depth. 

To everyone who joined our session, came by to say hello, or shared an idea—thank you. You made this week what it was. 

Here’s to keeping curiosity at the center of everything we do. 

See you next year, D.C.