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Day 4

The business of Selena
Tejano singer left a mark that still grows

By Alison Beshur Caller-Times
March 30, 2005


Demand for T-shirts, posters and collectibles bearing the image and signature logo of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez continues to grow a decade after her death. 

Resulting from this popularity is an industry of new products, revenue sources and successful careers for other Latin artists, such as Jennifer Lopez, who played Selena in the movie about the singer's life. 

All are examples of her brand, popularized as a rising star and a Tejano music icon. Selena's mark also gave new acceptance for Mexican-Americans who felt disconnected from Mexico and, at the same time, ignored as a culture and a market in their U.S. homeland. 

Selena's brand catapulted a crossover - "Hispanics are being Americanized (and) America is being Hispanicized," said Al Aguilar, chairman and CEO of Creative Civilization, a San Antonio-based advertising agency. 

"She delivered exactly what the market was all about," said Aguilar, who handled marketing for Coca-Cola when the company began including Selena in product promotions. "She's still relevant today." 

The Corpus Christi singer already had achieved fame in South Texas and some areas of the nation and Mexico when the president of her fan club fatally shot her on March 31, 1995, in Corpus Christi. 

Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., recalls the day after Selena's death, when he spotted neighbors selling T-shirts displaying her image. He called the police to stop it, and ever since, he said, he has fought a nonstop battle with those who would cash in on his daughter. 

"The piracy is intense," said Quintanilla, who owns Selena's copyrights and trademarks. 

Some vendors don't ask for permission to reproduce her image and simply manufacture products without a license. 

Others, such as Circle K and Coca-Cola with this year's anniversary beverage cups, requested permission and contribute proceeds toward the Selena Foundation, a nonprofit that has doled out thousands of dollars in the local community. 

Gil Hernandez, sales executive for Coca-Cola North America - South Texas, said the company had a pre-existing relationship dating to when Selena served as a company spokesperson. For the cups, the Quintanilla family was involved early on in the design process to ensure a respectful final product. 

The foundation itself was started to stop the illegal solicitation of money in the name of Selena, Quintanilla said. He recognizes there is a perception that he, like the pirates he seeks to stop, is cashing in on his daughter. 

"The media accuses me," Quintanilla said. "They think I'm getting rich over my daughter's tragedy and it's not so. I'm out there, spending thousands of dollars trying to stop it." 

Quintanilla said he made a promise to keep her music alive, but said other than with her music, Selena is not a part of the business. 

"Our business here at Q Productions, we don't depend on that. We develop new artists," Quintanilla said. "How could she be? She passed away." 

Local marketing consultant Michael Reyes said Selena's brand continues in popularity because, like that of Marilyn Monroe and Buddy Holly, it is timeless. 

To be effective, a brand must find common core values with the recipients and interact both directions, said Reyes, president and chief creative officer of !idea! Worldwide advertising agency in Corpus Christi. 

The memory of Selena, which he said is tied to her brand, conjures images of a young woman - outgoing, fun, talented and energetic. 

Derived from tribulations of her life, her brand also reflects the dreams of a Hispanic girl from a small town achieving marvelous success, Reyes said. 

After her death, Selena's brand reached millions more people as the story of her tragedy spread. For those who discovered Selena after her death, her brand was discovered then, said Lionel Sosa, marketing consultant with LK Sosa Consultation and Design and a pioneer in Hispanic marketing. 

For those who discovered her after her death, she serves as a Tejano music icon, similar to Reba McEntire or Loretta Lynn are for the country genre. She took Tejano music to its pinnacle, Sosa said. 

But for her father, Selena is not a representation of something manufactured, symbolic or replicable. 

"I don't look at her as an icon," Quintanilla said in his office surrounded by paintings of the late Tejano singer. "I look at her as my daughter. I would rather that she be here, than be going through all of these things." 

Contact Alison Beshur at 886-4316 or beshura@caller.com

pictures:

Adam Keill fills a commemorative Selena cup at the Circle K

on Interstate Highway 37 downtown on Tuesday. The Tejano

star left a mark that some say is timeless like those of

Marilyn Monroe and Buddy Holly.