By Glenn Llopis (Forbes.com)

There is a growing necessity for brand marketers to provide culturally relevant content and messaging that specifically targets US Hispanics.   In fact, Nielsen’s recent study, The Hispanic Market Imperative – clearly states that Hispanics are the largest immigrant group to exhibit significant sustainability of their culture and are not disappearing into the American melting pot.    Now that we have confirmed that cultural sustainability matters to US Hispanics, companies must become more educated about the Latino community not just as consumers – but more importantly, as people and the identity we represent as a diverse community.   They must recognize that Hispanics buy brands that empower their cultural relevancy.

“Studies show that embracing American culture does not strip Hispanics of their heritage or render them susceptible only to mainstream marketing influences,” says Armando Azarloza, president of The Axis Agency, a leading national multicultural marketing agency that focuses on the importance of tapping cultural movements. Hispanics in America are growing tired of being the target of new marketing campaigns by brands that are not creating cultural connectivity.  In fact, Latinos are more likely to turn away from brands that are only interested in selling to them, rather than empowering their cultural relevancy.   Hispanics are more inclined to build trustworthy relationships with people and companies that take the time to understand who we are and what we represent morally, ethically and culturally.    The Hispanic market can no longer be viewed as a short-term expense, but rather should be approached as a strategic long-term investment.

The business case for organizations/brands to invest in the Hispanic consumer should no longer be a mystery.   The recent announcement by ABC News that it plans to join forces with Univision News to create a multiplatform news, lifestyle and information programming aimed at U.S. Hispanics – says it all.  If that doesn’t tell you where culturally relevant content is headed – the Nielsen study revealed that if US Hispanics were a standalone country, their market buying power would be one of the top twenty economies in the world.   The bottom line is that brands continue to misunderstand the Hispanic market opportunity. They are taking a traditional/mainstream approach that focuses on selling features/benefits to gender-specific audiences whose purchasing habits have been known for decades.   “The business case is simple, targeting Hispanic audiences with dedicated campaigns around cultural expression multiplies the entry points and opportunities for brands to establish meaningful connections that ultimately translate into sales,” continued Azarloza.   Hispanics represent a new type of consumer who is connected to their own cultural nuances that support the needs of their family, their heritage and customs.   The Hispanic consumer is looking to build loyalty with brands that properly represents their voices and authentic identity; and that empowers their heritage by effectively embedding their cultural characteristics in how a brand speaks to them.    Cultural relevancy is a two-way conversation.  This means marketers must allow the Hispanic consumer to influence how they brand their brands.   “Marketers must sustain a dialogue rather than continue the stale monologues of the past.  When you invite Hispanics to engage they will adopt the brand with their own characteristics and personal value,” commented Azarloza.

“Brands need to find new ways to engage with Hispanics,” says Monica Gil, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations at Nielsen.  “It’s time for companies to understand the behaviors that drive Latinos to connect emotionally with their brands.  Until they do, they are leaving revenue and market growth opportunities on the table.”      Brands must empower the value of Hispanic Heritage in their messaging and communication strategies all year round – not just once a year when it is formally celebrated, September 15^th – October 15^th.    Brand engagement with Hispanic consumers is about being able to show that your organization believes that their purchasing power and voice matter.  This means that brands must measure ROI with a longer-term objective focused on helping the Hispanic community strengthen its voice across generations.    Hispanics want you to earn the right to become a member of the family.  This is how you build ultimate trust with Hispanic consumers. “To open this door, brands must identify and hone in on those unique and powerful cultural insights and triggers.  These ultimately will form the foundation of a compelling campaign that will foster consumer desire, loyalty and relevancy and set it apart from its competitors,” says Azarloza.

With a median age of 28 years old, the timing is ripe for organizations/brands to make a firm commitment to the Hispanic consumer.  It’s time to strengthen a consumer segment whose identity in America has been weakened by brands that attempt to force Hispanic loyalty using traditional mainstream marketing tactics rather than earning it by empowering cultural relevancy.    “Corporations need to start feeling comfortable about being uncomfortable,” continued Gil.  “Brands need to start putting the Hispanic demographic shift conversation into action by making a commitment to understand what it all means to their brand(s).  Hispanics have a hunger for consumption, but prefer brands that speak their language and embrace their cultural heritage. Brands need to take more risks by sprinkling “Latinoness” into their mainstream ads (as Volkswagen did here), concludes Gil.

To learn more about how your business can unlock new opportunities in the Hispanic market visit www.CenterforHispanicLeadership.com.  Follow us on Twitter @HispanicTalent.  Like us on Facebook.

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mun2 announced their new 2012-2013 programming roster

JENNI RIVERA PRESENTS: CHIQUIS ‘n CONTROL
PREMIERES SUMMER, 2012
This one-hour, 11-part reality show, is a spin-off of mun2′s most popular and highest-rated original reality series, “I Love Jenni,” following the life of Chiquis Rivera. Chiquis is the daughter of Jenni Rivera. In “Chiquis ‘n Control” viewers will follow Chiquis as she moves out of the Rivera home for the first time and strikes out on her own. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Chiquis will open her very own first business, a blow dry salon near her childhood home in the San Fernando Valley. We will see her build her business from start to finish – everything from the construction and décor to hiring her staff to then running a business on a day-to-day basis. Chiquis will be forced to balance her responsibilities to her family, her social/dating life, with being the boss of her first business venture. In each episode, viewers will experience both the drama inside the salon as well as in Chiquis’ home and personal life. The series is Executive Produced by Jenni Rivera in association with her Jenni Rivera Enterprises, Pete Salgado for Jenni Rivera Enterprises, Shari Scorca for mun2, and Edward Paige and Liane Su for Blank Paige Productions.

LARRYMANIA
PREMIERES FALL, 2012
This one-hour, 10-part reality series revolves around the fast paced life of Mexican Regional superstar Larry Hernandez. Take an unprecedented, all-access look at the fast-paced life of Mexican Regional’s newest Superstar. His no-holds barred style of music took him to the top of the Billboard charts and into the hearts of music fans across the nation. Jet setting from his homes in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Mexico, this new reality series follows Larry as he tackles his demanding life on tour, while balancing his role as a father, a son and a camera ready celeb lifestyle. It’s not easy being the King of Corridos . . . it’s Larrymania! The series is being produced by Cinemat and Executive Produced by Gloria Medel Solomons for mun2.

DUB LATINO
PREMIERES Q3, 2012
“DUB Latino” is a half-hour, 8 part weekly magazine series created by DUB Magazine and mun2, and the series will take viewers on a weekly, stylized ride with the biggest names in Latino entertainment. Enter the high-octane world of car culture and lifestyles, featuring some of the hottest Latino figures in sports, music, film and TV. “DUB Latino” will be viewers’ go-to destination on car culture; transforming your ride and having the pros show you how to get it done, step by step. Keep up to date with your weekly guide to breaking trends and gadgets for every automotive enthusiast. The series is produced by DUB Magazine, Executive Produced by Myles Kovacs for DUB and Gloria Medel Solomons for mun2.

OJO POR OJO
U.S. PREMIERE MAY 21, 2012
From Gustavo Bolivar, the romantic drama is based on Laura Restrepo’s novel, “El Leopardo al Sol.” In this Romeo and Juliet inspired story, a romance blossoms between young lovers who belong to rival and warring families. The 98-episode telenovela series features top international Television stars Gaby Espino, Miguel Varoni, Gregorio Pernia and Carmen Villalobos. This Spanish language telenovela will be broadcast exclusively on mun2 in Spanish with English subtitles.

SPECIAL EVENTS
Lifestyle Coverage from the London 2012 Summer Olympic Summer Games
PREMIERES JULY 28, 2012
Deportes Telemundo and mun2 brings us daily Summer Olympic coverage live from London, England starting July 28-August 11. These daily, half-hour shows will be hosted by mun2 host Guad Venegas from Olympic Village, and will feature highlights of the day, lifestyle snapshots and in-depth profiles on key Latino athletes.

mun2.tv
Produced by the mun2.tv staff, the award-winning mun2.tv site will launch the following digital documentaries, special reports and series in 2012:

Naco, Pocho: cultura, clase, raza
PREMIERES June 2012
There are 30 million Americans of Mexican descent. Together they are not only changing American culture but, also, Mexican culture. Featuring interviews with: Gloria Trevi, Gerardo Ortiz, Edward James Olmos, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Larry Hernandez, Jenni Rivera, Edoardo Chavarin, Daniel Hernandez, Lalo Alcaraz and Gustavo Arellano among others. These relevant and influential Latinos in the U.S. and Mexico debate who is Naco, who is Pocho and what it means. Digital documentary produced by mun2.tv staff.

The Top 15 Best Cities for Young Latinos 2012
PREMIERES Summer 2012
On the heels of the 2011 list that had Boston as the #1 city to be young and Latino in, this year’s list will take jobs, housing, nightlife, age and other economic and social indicators to create the ultimate list of where the best cities are to be young and Latino.

Papi Chulo
PREMIERES November 2012
Why are Latino men so pretty? A fast, fresh survey of how Latino men preen and primp themselves; from fashion to hairstyles, from reggaeton to regional Mexican music, from the Northeast to the Southwest.

Officer Diaz
PREMIERES Fall 2012
This scripted web series focuses on Officer Eric Diaz (comic talent Eric Ochoa of YouTube fame), a high school safety officer who dreams of becoming a detective. The trouble is, he’s not very good at his current job – and is about to be fired. But when Diaz stumbles upon the trail of a serial killer who is hunting down “Dream Act” kids, he gets his chance to prove all the haters wrong. If he can stay alive. Produced by mun2.tv staff.

IN DEVELOPMENT
Alerta Zero
After chart-busting success as members of the top Durangese/Regional Mexican band “Alacranes Musical,” 9 members of the band reinvent themselves and their music with a new name, new members and crazy new drama…all while living under the same roof. The ensemble reality series is being produced by Cinemat.

Fugitivos de la Ley
A skilled team of bounty hunters track down criminals in the U.S. ending in dramatic busts and emotionally thrilling moments. The Fugitivos’ team is led by Luis, a federal agent and veteran in the art of criminal apprehension, and includes male and female professional law enforcement officers both veterans and newcomers. From crimes of passion to hardened repeat offenders, there is never an easy case and there is a surprise behind every bust .Each episode starts at the teams tactical headquarters to discuss the case, go over the crime committed and plan the takedown of the fugitive at large. Stories are shown through reenactments of the electrifying cases. Produced by Lou Pizarro (star and Co-Producer of reality series Operacion Repo) for Ega Productions.

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Hispanic-owned marketing agencies in South Florida are growing in size and scope as brands increasingly target the U.S. Hispanic population.

By Mike Seemuth (Miami Herald)

By Janell Ross (Huffington Post LatinoVoices)

In the 1940s, when Monica Cruz’s grandfather tried to register to vote, officials in Los Fresnos, the small South Texas town where he lived, demanded a fee.

The fee was a poll tax, one of the many devices that Texas authorities used to suppress Latino and black voting, Cruz’s grandfather told her. That’s an ugly part of Texas’ past and Cruz’s Mexican-American family history. But on Monday, when early voting begins for the primary in San Antonio where Cruz lives and elsewhere across the state, Texas politics will pass a milestone of sorts.

For the first time in the state’s history, a quarter of all Texas congressional races will be held in specially designed districts where Latino voters make up the majority. That’s a figure that is in direct proportion to its share of eligible Texas voters who are Latino. And that’s a situation that would not have been possible without women like Cruz, who have been giving birth to new Texans. In the 10 years from 2000 to 2010, Texas added about 529,000 new people, including newborns and new arrivals, with about 65 percent of them being Latino. And all that new population growth helped Texas gain four new congressional seats — more than any other state.

“Would any Texan, say, walking along the street know that [because] our population is growing considerably, we will get more representation in Congress as a state?” asked Cruz, a political scientist at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. “Would they know where or who to attribute it to?”

“Yeah, I think so unless they have their head in the ground,” she said. “It’s really simple: Latinas are having children, and now Texas will have a bigger voice in the House. That’s the way representative democracy works.”

But in Texas this year, that kind of population shift resulted in an epic battle over the new congressional seats and the beginning of a sea change in who wields political power.

What’s happening in Texas is of national interest because while the specifics might vary, the general demographic trend does not: Across America the Latino birth rate is poised to deliver more political power to Hispanics than many Americans may anticipate.

Of the nearly 530,000 people added to Texas’ population from 2000 to 2010, Latinos like Cruz’s two children accounted for 65 percent of that growth, said demographer Steve Murdock, who led the U.S. Census Bureau from 2007 to 2009.

“I say that, or something like it, at least once a week in a presentation to some group or another, and it shocks people because they still think this is a Texas, California, Florida, New York thing,” said Murdock, now a sociologist at Rice University in Houston. “It’s not. It’s a national phenomenon.”

Every month, more of Texas’ disportionately young Latino population turns 18, or voting age. Nationwide about 50,000 Latinos reach this marker each month, according to federal data.

The census data that still occupies a lot of Murdock’s time isn’t merely a matter of creating a statistical snapshot. Every 10 years that data is used to assign seats in Congress to growing states and remove them from those that lost population. Once that process, known as congressional reapportionment, concludes, state authorities draw new political maps with new districts. Then the dominant party in a given state will try to hold onto the seats it has and expand that number, said researcher Antonio Gonzalez, president of the William C. Velasquez Institute, a nonpartisan San Antonio-based policy group that focuses on Latinos.

“Power protects and shepherds power; that is the way, unfortunately, it is done,” said Gonzalez, also a blogger for The Huffington Post. “But we have, thank goodness, reached a point [that] you can’t take the spoils of population growth and really expect that you won’t have to bother sharing. That age is over.”

Because of Texas’ history of extreme discrimination against minority voters, it belongs to a small group of states that must send any political district maps its legislature develops for approval by a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C., or the Department of Justice, Gonzalez explained. These states must also create “opportunity zones,” districts designed to include a majority of minority voters who, when grouped together, would have the power to elect candidates of their choice. So state plans that try to eliminate opportunity districts or mitigate their impact on election outcomes are often declared illegal, he said.

After Texas won four new seats in the reapportionment process in 2010, its state legislature devised ways to abide by the letter rather than the spirit of the Voting Rights Act. In a November 2010 email, obtained by the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund and presented as evidence in court, a Texas legislative staffer suggested a method for drafting new districts: identify communities with a large number of voters with “Spanish” surnames and low voter turnout, then clump them together into an opportunity district. The proposal also would push areas with a large number of very active Hispanic voters into mostly Republican and non-Hispanic white districts. The impact of the more active and largely Democratic-leaning Latino voters would be diffused. Republicans in these areas would safely win re-elections.

“I think the legislature thought this would be the last time, their last chance to just do it the old way, protect the good old boys and hold on to nearly all the power,” said Nina Perales, vice president of litigation at the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, a civil rights organization based in San Antonio.

In January the Supreme Court ruled that the new Texas congressional districts created by the state legislature violated the Voting Rights Act but that a replacement map drawn by a San Antonio federal court preferred by the defense fund could not be used either. The San Antonio court had overstepped its authority, the Supreme Court ruled.

In February the defense fund and the state legislature reached a compromise. Two of the four new districts the state gained would become Latino opportunity zones.

Creating opportunity districts — with a majority of minority members — is critical, said Perales, the lawyer who helped make the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund’s case at the Supreme Court. “People think we are partisan,” Perales said. “This is about Latino political power, not parties. We fight for opportunity districts — districts called for in the Voting Rights Act, by the way — so that minority voters have a chance to elect someone they want.”

Added Perales, a mother of three, who started her job just months after her oldest, now 15, was born, “We don’t care if that candidate is black, white or brown, a Republican, an independent, a Democrat or a communist. We just fight for that chance. We do it so that in three years when young people like my son are eligible to vote, they will be heard.”

As it has turned out, the new districts have put Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a prochoice white multimillionaire lawyer from Austin who supports the president’s health care package and federal funding for NPR, in significant danger of losing the congressional seat he has held since 1995, some analysts say. (Doggett also blogs for The Huffington Post.)Challenging Doggett in the primary are Democrats Sylvia Romo, a Mexican-American from San Antonio who is the elected tax assessor-collector, and Maria Luisa Alvarado, also of Mexican-American heritage from San Antonio, who was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2006. If either of the women prevail, they would become the first Latina to represent Texas in Congress.

The potential changes in the state’s political power landscape have unnerved and angered some Republicans and Democrats.

“But I think the opportunities that come with all the new people and the new seats really only matter if we use our votes,” said Mary Gonzalez, 28, who is herself a candidate for a state House race in District 75, which includes El Paso.” And this is a part of the country with a lot of disempowered voters.”

In more than 200 neighborhoods and communities in El Paso County, known as colonias, some residents do not have running water or reliable electricity. But as a candidate, Gonzalez is spending long days and some nights, with her 10 siblings and her parents to call voters and knock on doors to get out the vote — and win herself a seat in the process. If she prevails, Gonzalez will become the first Latina to represent District 75 and the first out lesbian in the Texas House. She plans to dedicate herself to delivering basic infrastructure and services and expanding state funding for education.

Regardless of who wins in District 75, few would dispute that the Latino baby boom has led to redistricting and therefore increased political power.

“You can’t have a thriving economy or a prosperous country without a well-educated population and workforce,” observed sociologist Murdock. “Those kinds of [population] numbers either need to influence how elected officials spend public money or they point to a pretty dire path.”

For her part, Cruz, the San Antonio academic, is resolved that her own children — a 11-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl — will be cognizant of the responsibilities of citizenship and wisely use their voting power. She reminds them that her grandfather had to pay a poll tax to vote in South Texas and that while they attend a Spanish-language immersion school in one of San Antonio’s best suburban school districts, their grandfathers were strictly forbidden to speak Spanish in their Texas public schools.

“My husband and I have made a point of talking to our kids — frequently — about what that means,” she said. “When you have advantages, you also have responsibilities and obligations to care about those who don’t.”

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LATV Networks’ subsidiary American Latino Syndication is launching a slate of brand new episodes under the direction of up and coming director/producer Daniel Velez and rising journalist/comedian Humberto Guida. The new production team takes the helm of American Latino Syndication’s ground-breaking programs, ushering in more innovative segments, pioneering spotlights, and access to the people and trends that shape today’s bi-cultural young adults.

Along with hosts, actress Valery Ortiz and singer T. Lopez, and under the guidance of award-winning veteran producer Luca Bentivoglio, the brand new American Latino TV andLatiNation take off to new heights beginning this month with the premiere of its summer episodes.

“The American Latino market is severely under-served. Our viewers are hungry for more than just passive television entertainment,” said Luca Bentivoglio, COO and Head of Programming at LATV. “The new additions will serve as a boost to LATV Network’s American Latino Syndication arm, provide fresher, stronger, cross-cultural television and give our audience a wide range of media platforms to choose from.”

American Latino TV and LatiNation air Sundays, check your local listings for channel and time.

CLICK HERE for specially priced $449 tickets available ONLY in the month of May.

CLICK HERE for specially priced $449 tickets available ONLY in the month of May.

From Nielsen Wire

In March 2012, a majority (50.4%) of U.S. mobile subscribers owned smartphones, up from 47.8 percent in December 2011. Consumers purchasing new phones picked smartphones more often, and among smartphone owners Apple was the top manufacturer of smartphone handsets, while Android was the top smartphone OS.

Who makes up this growing group of smartphone owners in the U.S.? As of Q1 2012:

• 50.9 percent of female mobile subscribers carried smartphones in March 2012, compared to 50.1 percent for men.
• Looking at multiple smartphones are particularly popular among those ages 25 to 34: More than two out of three in this age group have a smartphone.
• Asian Americans lead smartphone adoption with 67.3 percent using a smartphone as their primary mobile handset.
• Almost three in five Hispanic mobile subscribers use smartphones, and a majority of African-Americans own smartphones

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Today Show’s Natalie Morales to Moderate Live Audience “Town Hall” Special.

nuvoTV, the only English-language cable network fully dedicated to serving America’s Bi-cultural Latinos (BCLs), announced today a programming partnership with NBC News’ Peacock Productions to spotlight the critical role of Latinos in the upcoming 2012 presidential election and the challenging issues important to Latino voters. nuvoTV and Peacock Productions will leverage their creative and production expertise to produce a high quality “Latino Town Hall” special before a live studio audience at Rockefeller Center. Tentatively titled “We Decide: 2012″, the special will premiere this August.

“Latinos in America are a crucial component for presidential candidates in this year’s election, and could well be the deciding factor in determining who is our next president” said nuvoTV CEO Michael Schwimmer. “Mainstream media has not adequately addressed the issues facing America’s Latino community in the context of this presidential election. nuvoTV’s Town Hall will provide a unique venue for Latinos to amplify their voice across the country in English, so that the widest possible audience can appreciate Latinos perspectives on the issues.”

Moderated by NBC News’ award-winning journalist Natalie Morales, We Decide 2012 will feature a panel of high-profile experts who will engage with a live audience and other virtual participants connecting through the latest social media platforms. The special will take a deep dive into how the presidential candidates are addressing issues specific to America’s Latinos including unemployment, healthcare, education and immigration.

In the summer of 2008, nuvoTV (then SiTV), broke new ground with “Crash The Parties ’08″ a national online contest in which aspiring young Latino journalists competed to cover the presidential election for the network. Winners were announced at a Capitol Hill reception, and then rewarded with media training before attending the Democratic and Republican national conventions as television reporters on the convention floor.

For We Decide: 2012, nuvoTV will also team up with NBCLatino.com, NBC News’ English-language platform serving news & lifestyle content to U.S. Hispanics. Together, they will provide information and increase awareness about the key issues related to We Decide: 2012, as well as engage audiences and readers on NBCLatino’s social channels like Twitter <http://twitter.com/#!/nbclatino> and Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/NBCLatino>.

The special’s announcement comes on the heels of nuvoTV’s recent 2012-13 upfront announcements, highlighting the network’s highest volume of original programming in its eight-year history. nuvoTV will feature five new, exciting and eclectic non-scripted series for its 2012-13 season including: Mario Lopez 1-on-1, Fight Factory, The 7 of Clubs, Curvy Girls and Low-Ballers. These shows will join nuvoTV’s returning original reality Model Latina to anchor the schedule.

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By Ana Radelat  (Ad Age)

While President Barack Obama and GOP rival Mitt Romney will make special efforts to appeal to certain groups, the competition for the Latino vote will be one of the most intense. And it’s already started.

Hispanic voters are the fastest-growing voting bloc in the U.S. A record 12.2 million Latinos are expected to cast ballots this year.

More important, Latinos will cast a lot of those votes in swing states.

Hispanic votes helped Mr. Obama turn New Mexico, Colorado, Florida and Nevada from red to blue in 2008 and may have also made a difference in Virginia and North Carolina, two other Republican strongholds the president won.

In all, Mr. Obama received 67% of the Hispanic vote. Mr. Romney told donors in Florida if he can’t chip away at that support, “it spells doom for us.”

Lionel Sosa, owner of a Hispanic advertising firm in Texas and adviser to George W. Bush and John McCain, said Mr. Romney has to distance himself from the hard-line stance on immigration he adopted when he was battling primary rivals.

The Obama campaign spent $25 million in 2008 on Spanish-language ads. Mr. Sosa said Mr. Romney has to pour money into both Spanish-language ads and English-language ads that appeal to Latinos, as most Hispanic voters are English-dominant.

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By Jack Loechner (MediaPost.com)

According to a new Nielsen report on the Hispanic consumer, the U.S. Hispanic population is the largest minority segment and growing at a dramatic rate towards ethnic plurality (the coexistence of numerous ethnicities and races with no one segment in the majority), which has already occurred in the most populous states and is beginning to occur among the U.S. baby population.

The Executive Summary of the report shows that:

• Latinos are a fundamental component to business success, and not a passing niche on the sidelines
• Rapid Latino population growth will persist, even if immigration is completely halted
• Latinos have amassed significant buying power, despite perceptions to the contrary
• Hispanics are the largest immigrant group to exhibit significant culture sustainability and are not disappearing into the American melting pot
• Technology and media use do not mirror the general market but have distinct patterns due to language, culture, and ownership dynamics
• Latinos exhibit distinct product consumption patterns and are not buying in ways that are the same as the total market

Over 52 million strong, Latinos are impacting every aspect of the national landscape including popular culture, the workforce, consumerism, politics and American national identity, says the report. The Hispanic market’s size, growing clout, and buying power of $1 trillion in 2010 and $1.5 trillion by 2015 shows that Latinos are no longer just a sub-segment of the economy, but a prominent player in all aspects of American life.

The Hispanic market offers unique growth prospects within our borders, says the report. If it were a standalone country, the U.S. Hispanic market buying power would make it one of the top twenty economies in the world. What’s more, the per capita income of U.S. Hispanics is higher than any one of the highly coveted BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China). Despite the recession, U.S. Latino households that earn $50,000 or more are growing at a faster rate than total households.

Between 2000 and 2011, Hispanics accounted for more than half of the U.S. population increase with slightly greater growth than that of all other non-Hispanics combined. Hispanics will contribute 60% or higher of all population growth over the next five years. Even though immigration is down sharply, Hispanics continue to experience dynamic growth. In fact, Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic segment expected to grow 167% from 2010 to 2050, compared to 42% for the total population

While the overall U.S. population is graying, the Latino population remains young and the primary feeder of workforce growth and new consumption. Over 60% of the U.S. Hispanic population is under age 35, and 75% is under age 45.

The median age of the Latino population is 28 years old, nearly ten years younger than the total market median age of 37 years. Given that the age for a new homebuyer is between 26 and 46 years old, Latinos will become a force in residential purchasing over the next ten years.

Because of Latinos’ favorable demographics and increasing economic buying power, IBISWorld has identified seven economic sectors expected to benefit most from Latino demographic change:

• Residential buying, food (grocery and restaurants)
• Retail (especially clothing and electronics)
• Education (higher education and technical schools)
• Financial services
• Transportation (automotive and airline)
• Entertainment industry
• Media industry

Nielsen notes particularly that In the U.S., Hispanic consumers’ usage rates of smartphones, television, online video, social networking and other forms of entertainment make this group one of today’s most engaged and dynamic populations in the digital space.

Hispanic mobile users send or receive 941 SMS (text) messages a month, more than any other ethnic group.  They also make 13 phone calls per day, 40% more than the average U.S. mobile user.

Social is another platform where Latinos are especially active and rising in numbers.  During February 2012, Hispanics increased their visits to Social Networks/Blogs by 14% compared to February 2011.  Not only are Latinos the fastest growing U.S. ethnic group on Facebook and WordPress.com from a year ago, but also Hispanic adults are 25% more likely to follow a brand and 18% more likely to follow a celebrity than the general online population.

Other digital findings from the report include:

• Hispanic video viewers are 68% more likely than non-Hispanic White viewers to watch video on the Internet, and 20% more likely to watch video on a mobile phone
• Hispanics outpace all ethnic groups in mobile downloads of music and pictures
• Hispanics are less likely to have Internet access at home compared to the U.S. average (62 % and 76%, respectively), but have increased home broadband use by 14% over the past year, which is higher than the 6% growth of broadband use in the general market

For more information on Hispanic consumers, sign in to download Nielsen’s “State of the Hispanic Consumer: The Hispanic Market Imperative” report, a comprehensive and detailed study with charts and graphs.

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