Newark To Rebrand Itself As Element14

LAS VEGAS — Electronics distributor Newark said today it will rebrand itself under a new name —  element14. The new name will merge Newark and its British parent Premier Farnell with the familiar element14 e-commerce and social media platform. At the Electronics Distribution Show here today, Newark representatives said that their goal is to mix Newark’s 77-year distribution history with a cutting-edge online environment.

“We think there’s an opportunity to connect what’s going on in the community to customers who buy products,” noted David Wenger, vice president of customer experience for element14. “We believe it gives us a unique position as a distributor.”

A big reason for the name change is that element14 wants to put more information in a single spot. The company’s hope is to bring together a global community of electronics professionals, manufacturers, experts and enthusiasts at a destination where they can share experiences and ideas.

Element14, which calls itself “the first community and electronics store for design engineers,” previously unveiled several new “community resources,” including: Do It Together blogs, which offer personal insight from recognized members of the electronics community; a legislation page, to help design engineers better understand RoHS directives; and an LED micro-site for design engineers. Ultimately, the company plans to have micro-sites for virtually all of its vertical markets, Wenger said.

Element14 representatives said they also expect the new name to provide another advantage: ease of searching. “A lot of potential customers now go to Google or Bing, and as we now have a single name, we will do better in those searches,” Wenger said.

Wenger added that the company considers the rebranding to be “a journey,” and he encouraged customers to follow that journey at newark.com/together.