AA tipped to use consultancy brand
Arthur Andersen is considering using the Andersen Consulting brand for its own consulting business, it confirmed this week.
The Big Five firm said it will consider using the AC brand, which could be worth up to £2.6bn according to brand finance experts, following a decision by an independent arbitrator this week forcing AC to surrender use of the name by 31 December.
Following this week’s divorce settlement between the two firms a spokeswoman for AA, said: ‘It is too early to tell what changes we will make, but the fact remains we have been awarded the name to use as we wish. We would not rule out rebranding our consulting business’.
A rebrand of the Arthur Andersen Consulting – the 15th largest in the UK – could prove expensive however, and could add to the confusion in the marketplace created during the arbitration process.
Branding valuation expert David Haigh, chief executive of brand valuation experts Brand Finance, told Accountancy Age that the brand name could be worth £2bn-£2.6bn.
Another possibility is that AA may decide to sell the Consulting name to a third party.