Hispanic Customers for Life

Book excerpt: Isabel Valdes' most recent book features a completely new analysis of Latino segments, based on how long Latinos have lived in the U.S. culture. These new segments provide an understanding not just of acculturation, but of how the length of time in country affects the way companies should position their products for Latinos. These descriptions will help you quantify and differentiate among people who are recent arrivals in the U.S., those who are third generation and beyond, and those who are second generation. In reality, a huge share of the Latino population was born in the United States and the majority of babies born today in the U.S. have Latino parents.Hispanic Purchasing PowerThe Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia estimates that U.S. Hispanic purchasing power increased dramatically during the 1990s and has continued to rise into the 21st century, from $212 billion in 1990 to $736 billion in 2005, a 347 percent increase over the 15 year period. By 2010, Jeffrey Humphrey, director of the Selig Center, projects Hispanic buying power will top $1 trillion. By 2050, some estimates place the value of Hispanic consumer marketplace between $2.5 and $3.6 trillion. With exciting new case studies and a focus on grassroots marketing and the internet, Ms. Valdes gives you the data and analysis you need to move your Latino marketing to the next level.