Aberdeen's journey back to its original identity raises questions about modern branding strategies.
**When Branding Takes a Wrong Turn: The Aberdeen Rebrand Saga**
**When Branding Takes a Wrong Turn: The Aberdeen Rebrand Saga**
A leading British investment firm reverts its name after negative reception of its vowel-less rebranding attempt.
The British investment firm Aberdeen, established over two centuries ago, has made headlines this week by reintroducing vowels to its name after a much-mocked attempt to become more contemporary. Originally rebranded as "abrdn" in 2021, aimed at showcasing a “digitally enabled” image, the firm has decided to revert to "aberdeen group," effectively reversing its corporate identity shift. This decision follows criticism and a lack of performance improvement stemming from the vowel-less name, highlighting the challenges companies face in aligning branding with customer identity.
Under the leadership of new CEO James Windsor, who assumed his position last year, the firm emphasized the need to “remove distractions” less than two months after he indicated no intention of changing the name again. The name change was emblematic of a broader concern in contemporary branding practices; when corporations chase trends, they risk stepping away from their core identity.
The trend of dropping vowels or adopting unusual spellings, prevalent among tech companies in the 2000s, is illustrated by entities like Grindr and Flickr. However, as noted by linguistics expert Laura Bailey from the University of Kent, such names may now be perceived as outdated or even embarrassing, akin to outdated fashion choices. Adding vowels back into Aberdeen’s name serves as a cautionary tale for businesses seeking modern relevance while trying to remain true to their foundational identity.
Under the leadership of new CEO James Windsor, who assumed his position last year, the firm emphasized the need to “remove distractions” less than two months after he indicated no intention of changing the name again. The name change was emblematic of a broader concern in contemporary branding practices; when corporations chase trends, they risk stepping away from their core identity.
The trend of dropping vowels or adopting unusual spellings, prevalent among tech companies in the 2000s, is illustrated by entities like Grindr and Flickr. However, as noted by linguistics expert Laura Bailey from the University of Kent, such names may now be perceived as outdated or even embarrassing, akin to outdated fashion choices. Adding vowels back into Aberdeen’s name serves as a cautionary tale for businesses seeking modern relevance while trying to remain true to their foundational identity.
