Four local managers among UK individual investors’ top 10 favourite brands

More than half of investors are very or quite familiar with the six best-known firms, Aureum Y research shows 

Key points: 

• Four UK-based firms and six global managers feature in the top 10 asset management brands for UK individual investors. 

• More than half of investors said they were very or quite familiar with the six best-known brands. 

• Brand familiarity, recall, and distinctiveness all correlate positively with propensity to buy. 

Four UK-based firms and six global managers feature in the top 10 asset management brands for UK individual investors, according to research by Aureum Y, the research division of Fundamental Group. 

The findings come from the UK Individual Investors Survey 2025, based on responses from 1,051 UK investors. To assess perceptions of asset management brands, Aureum Y created a Brand Equity Index, combining quantitative and qualitative measures across four pillars: recall, familiarity, propensity to buy, and distinctiveness. 

In unprompted brand recall, respondents mentioned a total of 46 different asset management brands in association with mutual funds/unit trusts, with 16.2% of investors naming the top company. The second- and third-ranked brands were recalled by 14.9% and 10.1%, respectively, while all others scored below 10%. More than half of investors said they were very or quite familiar with the six best-known brands, and among those who know the brands well, a large majority also expressed a high likelihood to invest in the leading brands. 

The survey’s methodology was tailored for a retail audience, with several adjustments compared to Aureum Y’s Global Brand Survey of intermediaries and institutional investors. Adjustments included measuring propensity to buy only among those with stronger brand familiarity, focusing recall questions on mutual funds and ETFs, and assessing distinctiveness through guided attributes rather than open-ended responses.  

The results show that brand familiarity, recall, and distinctiveness all correlate positively with propensity to buy. Unprompted recall (0.63) and distinctiveness (0.63) show the strongest links, suggesting that brands that are top of mind for investors hold a clear advantage in purchase decisions. Prompted familiarity has a weaker but still significant correlation (0.51). 

Distinctiveness is also highly correlated with familiarity (0.92) and recall (0.76), indicating that distinctive brands are more likely to be remembered and recognised. This makes distinctiveness a powerful lever for boosting both recall and familiarity, and, ultimately, purchase intent. By contrast, familiarity alone, without recall or distinctiveness, may not be enough to drive buying behaviour.

For more information and to request access to the full report, visit our dedicated individual investors reports page.