Few would deny it: the Hispanic market has a powerful impact on the U.S. economy. How powerful? As a minority group, its purchasing power is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2011.

That will only be about 10 percent of our nation's total estimated purchasing power. In other words, the Hispanic market won't corner the market. But, if these numbers come true, Hispanic economic clout will have increased 457 percent since 1990, eclipsing non-Hispanic growth of 190 percent. It will lead be the leader in minority buying power.

Oh, and one out of every six people in the U.S. will be of Hispanic origin.

All of that information comes from University of Georgia's Selig Center for Economic Growth (www.selig.uga.edu ). It is well known for these numbers, but they are only some of many.

Bottom line: if you have a product or a service that relies on the U.S. market, you must consider the role of the Hispanic market.

Same But Different

Latino and Hispanic markets differ from the general market in subtle and obvious ways.

Obviously, there are language differences -- if you're talking in the wrong language, you won't be heard. But among different subgroups of Spanish speakers (Mexico vs. Central America, young vs. old), there are subtle differences in connotation and dialect.

Another emerging trend: with more and more Latinos and Hispanics being born in the United States, biculturalism has taken hold. U.S.-born Hispanics, or ones that have spent considerable time here, have different qualities than their parents.

At school or work, they fit seamlessly into popular American culture. But if you go with them to their parent's home, they often speak a different language and their diet changes. They may treat authority different. In other words, they successfully understand two separate cultures. They choose which to fit into based on the circumstances.

New Horizons

As a full-service marketing firm, our clients target all types of people. We have seen the Hispanic market become increasingly relevant, and we have learned to "speak the language," if you will.

But no market is stagnant. We continue to research. Below you'll see a mix of links, white papers and other information that we have collected on our journey. Use as you please, and if you have any comments or questions, please let us know.

One last thing: Despite any cultural differences, we're convinced that people respond to great ideas -- creative strategies that find them and powerful messages that reach them. In communication, that will never change.