While national TV advertising as a whole grew at a slower rate last year than in the past, Spanish-language TV advertising posted a 3 percent gain in 2008, with growth in every major product category other than those related to the automotive sector. Satellite communication services showed the most growth - up 124 percent in 2008 -- followed by car insurance and pharmaceuticals.  Overall, the top 10 categories recorded growth of 8 percent over the prior year, reaching $2.9 billion in 2008.

The dollar shift accompanies a rise in audience size for Univision and Telemundo, which garnered 11 percent more viewers last year.  But audience size is only part of the story: ads that are developed specifically for the Hispanic audience (versus those that are simply lifted or translated from general market TV spots) are received more favorably among Latinos and earn higher brand and message recall. 

Read the full story about how language holds the key for marketers trying to reach the burgeoning Latino market in the current edition of Consumer Insight.