Natwest Group PLC completes name change from Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC

Natwest Team PLC has done its name improve from Team PLC (), adding that its LSE-shown shares will improve to the new name with a new ticker ‘NWG’ from Thursday.

“This is a historic day for our financial institution as we turn out to be NatWest Team plc. While there will be no alterations to our consumer makes, it is a symbolic moment for our colleagues and stakeholders. The financial institution has adjusted essentially above the previous ten years and now is the ideal time to align our team name with the manufacturer less than which the the greater part of our company is delivered”, reported chief govt Alison Rose.

“While what we are referred to as is important, it is how we do company that defines us…We are developing a sustainable and purposeful company that champions the probable of our customers at each individual phase of their life, provides for our stakeholders and plays a favourable role in our society”, she added.

The banking giant, which also owns the Queen’s financial institution Coutts and is aspect-owned by the Uk taxpayer, reported previous Thursday that it will keep the RBS manufacturer at its Scottish branches but operate as NatWest in its other markets.

It also reported at the time that the name improve options formed aspect of a method to align its team name “with the manufacturer less than which the the greater part of our company is delivered”, as all around 80% of the company’s consumer base originates from its Natwest division.

However, the name improve may possibly also be a move by the financial institution to eventually draw a line less than the lingering toxicity of its RBS name, which has ongoing to pervade given that the 2008 fiscal crisis amid a litany of scandals above payment security insurance (PPI), charge repairing and the behaviour of its Worldwide Restructuring Team (GRG) company device.

A report published by the Economical Perform Authority (FCA) previous yr discovered that GRG experienced mistreated compact and medium sized corporations (SMEs) which have been transferred to its regulate soon after the crash, with an impartial review also uncovering proof of options to drain corporations of dollars in get to receive belongings and equity and increase bonuses for selected employees.

Rebrands: the excellent, the lousy and the unappealing

RBS’s rebrand also is the hottest chapter in the chequered heritage of big corporate revamps.

Perhaps a person of the extra famed examples of a rebrand gone improper was the 2001 name improve of Royal Mail Team PLC () to ‘Consignia’, aspect of a method by then chief govt John Roberts to develop the scope of the company and endeavor to thrust into global markets.

The £2mln rebrand turned an prompt laughing inventory and lasted all around sixteen months before it was canned, with Roberts himself becoming consigned to the checklist of previous CEOs of the company soon soon after.

While Royal Mail’s shorter-lived rebrand was aspect of an hard work to glance to the future of the company, the rebrand of Arthur Anderson’s consulting arm to in 2001 was, significantly like RBS, a bid to slash the company off from its poisonous previous.

The moment a person of the most extensively highly regarded accountancy companies, Arthur Anderson’s status was left in tatters adhering to its role in the personal bankruptcy of US energy giant Enron, which was discovered to have applied questionable accounting tactics to hide personal debt off its equilibrium sheet which experienced been signed off by Anderson’s accountants.

However, some corporate rebrands have extra mundane ambitions in mind, this kind of as the 2015 rebrand of research motor giant Google to ().

The tech company formed Alphabet as a dad or mum to the core research motor company, which continues to be its largest asset, though also letting it to scale the administration of its other company arms, several of which consist of study & enhancement companies creating technological innovation relevant to self-driving cars and trucks and other so-referred to as ‘moon-shot’ tasks.

Shares in Natwest Team, which are continue to buying and selling less than the ‘RBS’ ticker, were .four% decrease at 121p in mid-afternoon buying and selling on Wednesday.

–Adds confirmation of name improve, updates share price tag–