Businesses, Campus to Launch Joint Campaign

Campus officials and Telegraph Avenue merchants have partnered to launch a new marketing campaign geared toward drawing UC Berkeley students, staff and faculty to the iconic Berkeley street, which has suffered flagging sales in recent years.

The campaign, set to roll out in late August, will carry the slogan "Telegraph Avenue: Gateway to Cal."

University and city officials plan to distribute brochures bearing the slogan at high-attendance events connected to the campus, such as Caltopia, football games and neighborhood block parties. A poster-calendar containing images of Telegraph Avenue juxtaposed with images of UC Berkeley will also be passed out to students.

A new Web site, Telegraph Live, is also set to launch soon. The Web site will carry descriptions of stores, information on current deals, and tips for shoppers-such as where to buy the best garlic chicken, said Doreen Moreno, manager with the UC Berkeley Office of Community Relations.

Officials said they hope creating an association between UC Berkeley and the Telegraph business district will draw students, faculty and campus staff to the area. An economically healthy surrounding environment is also important to the campus, Moreno said.

"The idea is to be able to help merchants know how to better access the university as a viable customer base," she said.

Many Telegraph businesses have suffered declining revenues in recent years. Last month, longtime independent bookseller Cody's books closed its doors after 10 years of revenue loss.

Merchants and city officials have pointed to the street's large homeless population, high crime rates and unattractive street facade as causes of the decline in business.

Some merchants said the decline is also due to a loss of interest in arts and culture in the UC Berkeley student population, which they said has hurt independent Telegraph stores.

Moreno said this is the only instance in her memory that the university has worked with city merchants to launch a marketing campaign.

"This is the first time where there's been a real focus on the marketing and public relations compontent to helping Telegraph in its economic revitalization," she said.

Several business owners in the Telegraph area had not heard about the campaign but said it sounded like a good proposal.

"It might be kind of effective," said Mars Clothing store manager Fernando Borbon. "A big percentage of the population here are students, and Telegraph seems to be heading in a downward spiral."

But Al Geyer, owner of Telegraph specialty shop Annapurna, said although the campaign is a good idea, it needs to be more comprehensive.

"It has to be more than words," Geyer said. "If the university is not going to lead students back to Telegraph, then it's all just rhetoric again."

Sean Barry of the Daily Californian contributed to this report.

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