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You don't have to be Hispanic to enjoy a little lime in your mayonnaise.

But that's one manufacturer's attempt - Kraft, as it happens - to appeal to Hispanic consumers. And it's working.

"In Mexico, base mayo has lime juice in it, and often, Hispanics add even more lime juice themselves," notes Karmen Conrad, a senior brand manager at Kraft Foods. "We wanted to offer an authentic mayonesa to the Hispanic population in the U.S."

For the first time, nearly half of Kraft Mayo's advertising is targeted toward the Hispanic community.

Today, more than ever, Hispanics are the buyers to court - Latina moms, in particular.

Hispanics make up 38 percent of the population in Texas, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Nationwide, Hispanics account for more than half the total U.S. population growth since 2000.

The median age of Hispanics in the U.S. is 27, notes Felipe Korzenny, founder of the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University. "Because the market is young, many Hispanics are still acquiring brand loyalties," he says. "It's a good opportunity for marketers to establish themselves while consumers are beginning to understand what they want."

Product positioning doesn't have to include imagery that looks Hispanic - that's the misconception many American marketers have, Korzenny notes.

"It's not the external imagery or physical imagery that is the most powerful," he says, "but the understanding of an idea that is dear to the culture." READ MORE