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Abrdn name change to Aberdeen "a pragmatic retreat from a branding experiment gone awry"

ended 04. March 2025

Abrdn has changed its name back to Aberdeen after several years' criticism, it has announced in its full year results published today. CEO Jason Windsor said: “This is a Group to be proud of, with a promising future. We will deliver by looking forward with confidence and removing distractions. To that end, we are changing our name to aberdeen group plc. This is a pragmatic decision marking a new phase for the organisation, as we focus on delivering for our customers, people and shareholders.” Newspage asked FS experts for their views on the name change, below.

3 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Tony Redondo
Founder at Cosmos Currency Exchange
The 2021 shift to Abrdn, ditching vowels in a quirky nod to modernity, drew mockery for being unreadable and pretentious, alienating clients and investors alike. Today’s announcement is a pragmatic retreat from a branding experiment gone awry. With £508bn of client funds under management, clarity trumped quirkiness. Aberdeen has been through a rough patch with its share price down 30% in five years and £1.7 bn in 2024 of outflows, so the return to its Scottish roots may steady its image and trust. Markets might shrug, but it could curb client loss. For the company and its shareholders' sake, let’s hope it's smart damage control and not too late.
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Jamie Elvin
Director at Strive Mortgages
Abrdn’s rebrand back to Aberdeen is a clear admission that the previous name change was a misstep. The decision reflects the importance of brand clarity in financial services, where trust and recognition are paramount. While the move may restore some investor confidence, it also highlights the costly risks of unnecessary corporate rebrands.
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Riz Malik
Independent Financial Adviser at R3 Wealth
Their investors are clearly more concerned about the returns they make than whether they use vwls in their company name.