The Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday that since 1999 the U.S. Latino Muslim population has increased by 30% to an estimated 200,000. According to the article, many of the new converts are attracted to Islam because of curiosity, marriage or a common interest such as immigration.

What we know as "typical" Muslim and "typical" Latino is evolving. Given the heightened “cultural fusion” in our society nothing is "typical" anymore. People are becoming more open to experiencing new cultures, and in this case new religious beliefs.

The article is a cue to how we label and categorize consumers and target audiences. The “please select a box” approach to defining people will soon be a thing of the past. People are living “out of the box” and experiencing new cultures, new religions, new lifestyles. As communicators we need to evolve with the times. Let’s face it, cultural fusion is here to stay and multiculturalism will be the mainstream. Are we ready to communicate "out of the box?"