http://www.mississauga.com/what's%20on/article/1279537--decosta-behind-music-greats
Torstar Network
Jan 14, 2012 - 9:35 AM
DeCosta behind music greats
Behind the stars. Jesse Decosta in his Mississauga home with one of his
treasures, a platinum record set from the Jackson family. The tribute fresh
from LA was shipped to Decosta following an event on the west coast where
DeCosta, their brand manager is often found. Torstar Network
Jesse DeCosta never really talks about his career — no one believes him, anyway.
This Mississauga man quietly works behind the scenes managing the brand image
of of Hollywood’s stars, including Michael Jackson’s family, Jamie Foxx and
comedian Kevin James.
“It is ridiculous when you hear a Canadian in Mississauga is doing this,”
Decosta said of DeCosta Marketing Inc., which has offices in the GTA and LA.
Serendipity, he believes, led him to his career rubbing elbows with the rich
and famous. He advises his star-studded clientele on a variety of things, such
as which public engagements to accept, how to design a website or what a movie
poster should look like. (Less glamorous clients include the Ontario Municipal
Insurance Exchange.)
But it hasn’t always been jetting to LA to accompany Will Smith to appearances
at the Grove.
The 40-year-old grew up in Edmonton, where his father struggled to find work as
a draftsman during the recession. After five years of unemployment, his dad
moved to Mississauga for a job, leaving his family behind. He died unexpectedly
four months later. DeCosta’s mother had to sell everything and move her family
to Toronto’s suburbs.
DeCosta, 15 at the time, started working right away. Creative, design-related
projects appealed to him, as his father was also an artist. Around 1989, he
started working for Sony Music in Canada, helping DJs and promoting artists any
way he could.
His serendipitous moment came in 1999, when he met singer Deborah Cox through a
lawyer. Cox hired him as a brand manager, and he’s worked with her ever since.
The tipping point came later that year when Cox’s manager started working for
Will Smith. DeCosta says Smith became his client soon after — and his best
sales person.
“Will is a pretty big calling card,” DeCosta said.
Over the past 12 years, DeCosta’s business has grown organically, he said. He
has no sales people, and he doesn’t make cold calls.
“Hollywood is very tight knit — it’s all based on trust and word of mouth. If
you work hard and do good for one individual, it spreads.”
Decosta’s most recent project is a website for the Jackson family. A fan of
their music, he met them through his work with Tupac Shakur’s estate.
“You meet with a lot of people and you talk with a lot of people,” said Marlon
Jackson, one of the Jackson 5 members, in a phone interview. “We liked what
[DeCosta] was doing and decided we would move forward with it.”
The Jackson’s had never had a website before, making it hard for the people to
know the “one true authentic side” of the family’s story, Jackson said. As
entrepreneurs (Jackson has plans to launch a fashion line), he and DeCosta
share a special understanding.
DeCosta spends 70 per cent of his time in Canada with his wife of 20 years and
their two children, he said, although he travels frequently to New York and LA.
A Mississauga native, his wife doesn’t want to move south but is “enjoying the
ride” of DeCosta’s career, he said.
Working with superstars does have its perks. When his family goes to LA,
DeCosta’s children, aged 9 and 11, can visit the sets of TV shows they like.
“The kids love it,” DeCosta said. They’ve also been to celebrity birthday
parties.
Considering DeCosta is a brand manager, it’s surprising few back home know
about his career advising Hollywood icons.
“I don’t know why,” DeCosta said, joking that he’s more popular in California
than he is in the GTA. “I guess we’ve never really promoted ourselves
locally.”
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