Asset Management

Abrdn’s humiliating U-turn prompts tough questions about its board

Irritated staff and resentful clients spurred a rebrand to Aberdeen despite previously ruling it out

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The vowels are back, but only after critics were slammed as corporate bullies Photo: Jose Sarmento Matos/Getty Images

Abrdn has faced such incessant ridicule over its vowel-lite rebranding that it might now appear obvious that it would be ditched eventually. But the decision to do so is a surprise for several reasons.

For a start, it overturns the conventional wisdom of radical rebrands. This is that everyone will hate them to begin with. The media will have a field day. But after a while people will get used to them. The benefits will start to come through. So companies should just tough it out.

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