The investment management firm abrdn has announced that it is reversing its widely derided rebrand of 2021, which saw it remove the vowels from its name. The firm, which in the past has been known as Aberdeen Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management, will now be known as Aberdeen Group. The change was announced with its annual results that saw the firm record profit growth for the first time in three years, with the stock up c11% at the time of publishing.

Jason Windsor, who has been the firm’s CEO since last September, replacing Stephen Bird, commented “We will deliver by looking forward with confidence and removing distraction”, adding “This is a pragmatic decision marking a new phase for the organisation”. Previous criticisms of the de-voweled name included that it looked like a typo, that the business had “irritable vowel syndrome”, and that it looked like the firm was ‘a burden’. In response, the firm said that it was being subject to “corporate bullying” and so it is unsurprising that it wants to draw a line under this period.

[QD comment MR: This sounds like a common sense solution to a problem that need not have existed in the first place. I guess the greater question for the investment companies in Aberdeen’s stable that rebranded themselves to reflect the change to ‘abrdn’ is: will Aberdeen pick up the cost if they have to revert to the original branding?]