I think personas provide an effective tool that can be evolved to include psychographic data (among other types of qualitative research) to help brands effectively navigate the Hispanic social media waters. It is for that reason that our team undertook what we are calling the Hispanic Persona Project.

The Hispanic agencies that possess this ability to traverse these two markets and, more importantly, sell that concept to the client, will have a clear advantage and may do a reverse cross over into one general market. I see more and more of them everywhere.

For a sport that caters primarily to the male 18-34 demographic, Latinos, who make up 20% of this audience, represent a key portion of UFC's viewership. In fact, recent Simmons data show that they are even more enthusiastic about the UFC than their non-Latino counterparts, with 37% of Latino males 18-34 saying they are "very interested" in the UFC, compared to 23% of non-Latino males in the same age group.

Although some may find this post a bit self-serving, I feel that this story is reflective of the massive influence Hispanics are having on the United States. Indulge me while I tell you about the evolution of our company from a Hispanic digital agency to an agency that now executes both Hispanic and general market work.

Let's take a step back and think about why the Hispanic marketing industry exists. Hispanic marketing exists primarily for three reasons: Language, population size, and culture.

For as long as there have been cities, they have been maligned as soulless vortexes that pollute and overwhelm, irresistibly dragging innocents towards them, sucking up their aspirations and hopes when they get there.

Advertising as a global industry is undergoing an enormous transformation. I think that we will not be able to recognize it in a few years. To think of Hispanic advertising as separate from global advertising implies a backtracking of sorts, an undermining of who we are.

We know Hispanics love cell phones, especially smartphones. But now several recent studies have confirmed that marketers looking to reach Hispanics should consider mobile as the primary tactic. Below is a recap of these studies as well as examples of some great Hispanic mobile websites.

Regardless of whether some or all of these disruptors come to pass, futurecasting paints a clear picture of a fundamentally different Hispanic market than the one we know today.

In a year when the U.S. Census is going to confirm without a doubt (once again) that NGL's are driving both population growth and Hispanics' contribution to the U.S. economy, we are committed to helping those in media, marketing and entertainment fill in the information gaps surrounding how best to communicate with and reach this elusive audience.