As this demographic undergoes historic population shifts and growth, Spanish is no longer the default language, but an option. And reaching this multifaceted audience demands a newfound understanding of language usage and preference.

Investing in the Hispanic market is a no-brainer. It simply makes good business sense. And now in the toughest times, marketers will find the easiest route to sales and ROI is with the Hispanic consumer market.

What happens when acculturating Latinos don't have familiarity to rely on? What happens when the first generation born in the United States and raised with Latino values begins to navigate the complicated world of consumption and to make purchase decisions?

One internationally prominent marketer that has been working hard to understand and appeal to U.S. Hispanic consumers is NASCAR. The sport signed on its first Hispanic driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, in 2007; and today, 38% of U.S. Hispanics consider themselves at least "casual fans" of NASCAR -- essentially the same proportion as for non-Hispanics (42%).