Aberdeen's return to vowels: 'It had no choice but to change it back'

Initial rebrand an ‘expensive and confusing’ marketing mistake, advisers say

Isabel Baxter
clock • 3 min read

Following the news that Abrdn will be changing its name back to Aberdeen in a bid to “remove distractions”, industry commentators have said that “it had no choice” but to change it back.

Standard Life Aberdeen adopted the name Abrdn back in 2021, following the sale of the Standard Life brand to Phoenix Group. At the time, the asset manager said that the vowel-banishing change reflected a "modern, agile, digitally enabled brand".  As part of its full year results released today (4 March), the asset manager said the name change is a "pragmatic decision marking a new phase for the organisation and removing distractions, this is a name change not a re-brand, so there is no change to visual identity".  "It was clearly not working," The Yardstick Agency founder and di...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Companies

Söderberg completes Benchmark takeover

Söderberg completes Benchmark takeover

Received FCA approval

Isabel Baxter
clock 04 November 2026 • 2 min read
FCA warns of Octopus Investments clone firm

FCA warns of Octopus Investments clone firm

Fraudsters using a fake website and email

Isabel Baxter
clock 03 November 2026 • 2 min read
Lync Wealth Management adds £210m in assets with South East acquisitions

Lync Wealth Management adds £210m in assets with South East acquisitions

Acquires Scott Financial and Latham Consultancy

Sophia Panayi
clock 03 November 2026 • 2 min read