Franklin Templeton has adjusted the marketing strategy of its European ETF platform in a move that aims to better align the firm’s product offering while also capitalizing on the strength of its brand name.
Caroline Baron, Head of ETF Distribution, EMEA, Franklin Templeton.
Franklin Templeton’s European ETF business, which was branded ‘LibertyShares’ since its inception in 2017, currently comprises 20 funds offering a range of traditional passive, smart beta, active, sustainable, and thematic investment strategies.
Effective 1 December, the platform has removed the overall LibertyShares branding, while ten ETFs that contained ‘Liberty’ or ‘LibertyQ’ monikers have also dropped these naming conventions.
Liberty ETFs refer to funds that are actively managed in-house at Franklin Templeton, while LibertyQ ETFs are smart beta funds deploying proprietary factor-based strategies.
Following the rebranding, the ten ETFs will more closely align with the remainder of the firm’s fund line-up which simply sport the ‘Franklin’ introduction. The investment objectives and strategies of all 20 ETFs remain unchanged.
Franklin Templeton conducted a similar rebranding of its US ETF business in August of this year.
Caroline Baron, Head of ETF Distribution in EMEA, Franklin Templeton, said: “While we are proud of the growth and evolution of our UCITS range, we welcome the new naming conventions which are aligned more closely to Franklin Templeton’s rich 75-year history as one of the world’s largest global asset managers.
“In September this year, we celebrated the fifth anniversary of our UCITS ETF range and are proud of the key milestones we’ve accomplished. This year alone, we launched four new ETFs for European investors, and we were pleased that Franklin Templeton was one of the top-ten ETF asset gatherers in Europe. Our clients value our innovative offering which leverages the firm’s heritage as a pioneer in emerging markets and fixed income.”
The ten ETFs that have changed their naming conventions are outlined below (new fund names in bold):
Franklin LibertyQ US Equity UCITS ETF
Franklin US Equity UCITS ETF
Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend UCITS ETF
Franklin Global Dividend UCITS ETF
Franklin LibertyQ European Dividend UCITS ETF
Franklin European Dividend UCITS ETF
Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity SRI UCITS ETF
Franklin Global Equity SRI UCITS ETF
Franklin LibertyQ European Equity UCITS ETF
Franklin European Equity UCITS ETF
Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets UCITS ETF
Franklin Emerging Markets UCITS ETF
Franklin Liberty Euro Short Maturity UCITS ETF
Franklin Euro Short Maturity UCITS ETF
Franklin Liberty Euro Green Bond UCITS ETF
Franklin Euro Green Bond UCITS ETF
Franklin Liberty USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond UCITS ETF
Franklin USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond UCITS ETF
Franklin Liberty AC Asia ex Japan UCITS ETF
Franklin AC Asia ex Japan UCITS ETF