Newsletter looks to spark interest in Westwood life

By Amy Golod

Daily Bruin Contributor

The Westwood Villager, a recently-created newsletter, is a tool
of homeowners and merchants to attract visitors to what many say is
a lagging village.

“The vibrant energy of the village has been lost and we
want to get it back,” said Terry Tegnazian, member of the
Business Improvement District’s marketing committee.

Other purposes of the Villager are to market and to announce
future events, said Jennifer Barry, a member of the Barry Group, a
public relations firm that represents the BID.

The newsletter is a project of the marketing committee of
Westwood’s BID, which funds the publication.

The Villager, with a 25,000 circulation, aims to draw together
the communities of Westwood, UCLA, and surrounding areas.

Twenty-thousand of the newsletters are mailed every other month
to homes in Westwood and selected areas of Bel Air, West Los
Angeles, and Brentwood. Five-thousand copies are hand-distributed
throughout the village.

“The newsletter puts a friendly, familiar face on Westwood
Village,” said Steve Sann, a member of the marketing
committee.

The first issue debuted in February and a second issue followed
this month.

“The newsletter needs to inform and serve as a marketing
tool,” Tegnazian said.

In the last 10 years, people have generally shopped in the
village infrequently, so they do not know what it offers now, she
added.

The target audience includes UCLA students, local residents and
office workers, Tegnazian said.

Featured in the Villager are businesses in the village, a trivia
contest, and a list of new shops and eateries.

The May issue highlights Flax Art Supplies, established in 1931
and run by several generations of the Flax family. Founded in 1928,
Oakley’s Barber Shop is also described.

“I loved the nostalgia and history of the
newsletter,” said Shelley Taylor, a Westwood resident.

The trivia contest also focuses on the historical aspect of the
village, challenging readers to review their knowledge of Westwood.
This month’s question asked about the original function of
the Westwood Village Towers.

Contestants who responded with the correct answer to the
February question became part of a drawing. The prize was a
complimentary dinner for two at Gardens on Glendon and a pair of
tickets to “Mizlansky Zilinsky” at the Geffen
Playhouse.

The marketing committee organized a focus group in April to
critique the first issue and decide how to improve future issues.
Participants included business workers and residents, Tegnazian
said.

“We decided warmer colors would provide a more community
feel,” Barry said.

One attendant suggested the inclusion of a coupon to reward
frequent patrons, she said.

The next issue, scheduled for July publication, will provide a
recipe from a local chef.

The Villager incorporates information about UCLA in addition to
the village.

The section titled, “Fun, Fresh, Free Things To Do in
Westwood” describes the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden
as a destination for “quiet contemplation.”

The newsletter committee, a subcommittee of the marketing
committee, decides the content of the publication, Barry said.

Barry writes and edits the stories, before a final review by the
committee.

“The main goal is to communicate positive news and events
in the community to businesses and residents,” Barry
said.