It’s time to switch gears on your thoughts about marketing to Hispanics. The Hispanic population in the U.S. is growing at a rapid pace. Based on the latest Nielsen report, they represented 56% of U.S. population growth from 2000 to 2010. That number is expected to grow 60% within the next 5 years.

Hispanics are a young and vibrant community that is changing the country in many ways. For any automaker selling cars in America, Hispanics are the future. They’re the fastest growing ethnic group and, already, they buy one of every four cars sold in the U.S.

Based on a report from RL Polk & Co., a marketing firm that specializes in automotive research, it is estimated that car sales to Hispanics have increased 27% in 2012 alone.  The annual volume of new automotive sales to Hispanics for the first half of 2012 totaled $13.8 billion, as measured from January through June. That figure represents approximately $28 billion on an estimated projected annual basis. [Read more…]