Yeah, that’s a real logo there. The University of Texas (and the Aggies over at A&M) have entered a partnership that will create university-branded energy companies (more accurately, energy resellers). Yep. Longhorn gas … and electric, too. Here at CCC, we’d never buy a Longhorn-branded anything. But if the Sooners started offering it, would we pony up like we did for the OU lawn chairs, ice chest and grilling kit? Sponsorship broker IMG College and Branded Retail Energy, a Dallas-based company that needs help with its website and markets electricity through affinity partnerships, think so. And they say it’s not a gimmick to test fan’s passion for anything with a logo attached. Instead, the service will be powered by one of the nation's top retail electricity providers, and — here’s the punter kicker — each new customer account will generate funds for sustainability initiatives for the respective schools. So it’s a way to support your favorite university. Will this replace those annoying “your tuition wasn’t enough, please give us more money” direct mailers they send out all year? We don’t know. But from a marketing standpoint, this will be interesting to watch. Here’s a tip, though: don’t stick your horns in the socket.
