Frequently asked questions

Why has the company changed its name to Aviva?

As a global business we needed one global name that customers can recognise around the world. Aviva is a great British success story that now operates in 28 countries across the world and provides savings, investments and insurance to over 50 million customers. Having one name brings real benefits for our customers – by working more closely together, we can offer you the best of our products and services, wherever you are.

Why did you choose the name Aviva?

Aviva was chosen as the new name after an extensive research exercise which showed that none of the existing names had the potential to become a truly global brand. The Aviva brand brings together more than 40 different trading names around the world.

Who is Aviva?

Aviva is the world's sixth-largest* insurance group and the biggest in the UK. We’re one of the leading providers of life and insurance products in Europe, we have substantial businesses elsewhere around the world and operate in 28 countries.

* based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2008.

How do the changes affect me?

There aren’t any major changes – your policy and products have stayed the same. If you have any direct debits, we've automatically updated the payee name to Aviva. And if we send you a payment in the future, you'll see the name Aviva on your bank statements or cheques.

Do I need to do anything?

No, as a customer you don't need to do a thing. There are no changes to your policy or our products as a result of this. It is a change of name only and not a change of insurer. To find out more, please visit

What proportion of Aviva global business comes from the UK?

Aviva is already the sixth-largest* insurer in the world – and increasingly global in outlook. The UK contributed 37% of global sales in 2008.

* based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2008.

Did you do any research among customers and staff before deciding to do this?

Yes. We made our decision very carefully, with the long-term in mind, following extensive collaboration with our staff and customers. Consumers worldwide have told us Aviva is a strong, distinctive brand and we see its consistent use as key to competing successfully on a world stage. Our people have also told us what they feel is distinctive and best about Aviva and we’ll be making sure staff across our business have the opportunity to benefit from this.

Did you consider using Norwich Union globally? If not, why not?

Although Norwich Union is an extremely strong brand in the UK, research carried out in 2002 showed that the Aviva name worked better everywhere else. Aviva is a well known brand in the markets we operate in outside the UK.

Why spend this money in the current climate?

We've been building the Aviva brand around the world since its introduction in 2002. Even before the rebrand, it was the name we used in over 20 countries, with enough worldwide recognition for us to be able to change the Norwich Union, Commercial Union and Hibernian brands to Aviva. This has allowed us to maximise the value of any marketing spend and make sure that learnings and expertise can be shared across all markets.

The cost of rebranding is more than outweighed by the increased cost-efficiencies of marketing one brand rather than several.

Will my premium go up to pay for this?

No

Are there any businesses in the Aviva group which haven’t moved to the global brand?

Just two:

• RAC
• Delta Lloyd

Why isn’t RAC affected?

RAC is a specialist brand in a specialist market. It has very specific trust and recognition from its members for roadside recovery services. For this reason, we thought it best to keep RAC as it is.

Is my policy still administered from the same place?

Yes. There’s no change to the administration of your policy as a result of the rebranding.

How will the change to Aviva affect the reattribution?

We’re still going ahead with our plans for the potential reattribution, the change of name from Norwich Union to Aviva hasn’t had any impact on this.

Has Norwich Union been taken over by Aviva?

No, Aviva is simply the new trading name for the group in the UK, replacing Norwich Union. There has been no change in ownership.

What has happened to the Norwich Union name?

Although we’re using the Aviva brand, customers looking for ‘Norwich Union’, for example in the Yellow Pages or online, will still find us and be redirected to Aviva.

Am I still covered?

Yes. There hasn’t been any change to your policy as a result of the rebranding.

How can you justify spending this when you are making staff redundant and making other savings?

We’ve made our recent re-organisations and increased our focus on core insurance and life businesses, to make sure we continue to deliver value to our customers. We will always need to manage our business effectively – maximising our global presence is a vital step in doing this over the long-term.

How much have you spent on this?

The cost of rebranding is more than outweighed by the savings we’ll make supporting one brand rather than several.

What has the re-brand cost the environment?

We’ve tried to minimise the impact by keeping stocks of existing stationery as low as possible, and by using recycled paper in our customer mailings.

Now you’re making savings, will you be able to reduce prices?

There will be no change to premiums as a result of the rebranding. But we’re always working hard to keep our prices as low as possible and we’ll continue to do this.

Will customers receive a noticeably improved service?

As a result of the change, we’ll be able to bring the best products and services in the Aviva group to other markets, so we hope you'll see positive benefits.

Are there any changes to the Terms and Conditions of my policy?

No. There aren’t any changes to policies, products, terms and conditions as a result of the rebranding. Your insurer hasn’t changed, just the brand name.

Do internet searches take me to Aviva if I forget and I type in Norwich Union?

Yes, if you forget we automatically redirect you to www.aviva.co.uk

Have your contact details changed?

No. You can still contact us using the addresses and telephone numbers on your policy documents.

* based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2008.