Avnet's recent rebranding campaign was driven by a changing electronics components marketplace that is squarely focused on new technologies, as well as recent acquisitions and divestitures. The Phoenix, AZ-based distributor wanted a new look and feel because it is a "totally different company," says the company's CEO, Bill Amelio, in MDM Interview: Behind Avnet’s Rebranding Campaign.

"How do we express that in such a way that we’re able to get all of our employees aligned in the same direction and make it clear and crisp to our customers and our suppliers who the new Avnet is?" Amelio says. "What better way to do that with a brand launch and some creative videos and discussions and talking points and getting everyone charged up in the entire company? It’s quite amazing how we’ve been able to engage and energize 15,000 people across the company."

Amelio says the "$20 billion to $30 billion dollar connective-device world" was a major driver of the rebrand, which included a new logo, color scheme, website and tagline – “Reach Further” – with the goal of creating a unified message that “symbolizes growth and possibility.” The company "shipped about 300 million internet of things devices this past year," and it's working to "build out a little ecosystem of the device, the gateway, the network and all the way to the cloud."

The company also recently spun off its Technology Solutions business and acquired Premier Farnell and Hackster, so a new positioning statement following these structural changes would allow the company to refresh its mission of "helping customers navigate an ever-changing technology landscape."

"It wasn’t just about changing the business to get improvement in top line and bottom line," Amelio says. "It was also about changing the culture to one where people feel good about the business. We’ve learned that the more engaged employees are into the well-being of the company, the better the end result in how the company performs out in the marketplace."

Read more about Avnet's rebranding and other thoughts on the industry from Amelio in MDM Interview: Behind Avnet’s Rebranding Campaign.