Consumer opinions are prolific, authentic and insightful when respondents are more 'relaxed' in the internet versus when they are approached in person. Analysis on consumer-generated content in social media made a great contribution to nurturing the insights to support business decisions, however, social media analyses are not yet going to replace the richness gathered from traditional focus groups in which the interviewers listen, understand, perceive and feel the emotions of the individual that is in before the researcher.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief history of Acculturation Models as well as a new recommended approach to sub-segmenting the U.S. Hispanic market. There are discussions on other factors related to acculturation that may affect the way a marketer should tailor communication in order to reach sub-segments of the U.S. Hispanic market more effectively. Hispanics have not only increased in numbers to become the largest ethnic minority population in the United States, constituting one of the fastest growing ethnic minority groups, but have also reached an estimated purchasing power of $600 billion (7.4% of the total U.S. purchasing power) and which is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 9.7%.