Need to Know – The latest US media & marketing news: AC/DC embrace streaming, Trump dumped & Kendall Jenner crowned new Instagram queen
Morning all, here’s a glimpse at all the media and marketing news you should know today.
1. Kendall Jenner has broken Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s Instagram record with a five-week old picture of her lying on a carpet with her eyes shut. Billboard notes that the image has mustered 2.48m likes.
2. NBC has dumped Donald Trump as the host of the Apprentice following his comments about Mexican Immigrants, reports USA Today. The studio issued a statement reading: “Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBC Universal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump.”
3. AC/DC is one of the final major bands to embrace music streaming, signing deals with Spotify, Radio and Apple Music. Time reports that the band, who were late even on iTunes (2012) are finally adopting new ways of marketing its tracks.
4. Uber is telling investors that the company generates a $470m operating loss as a result of its research and global expansion costs. Bloomberg reports that despite operating in 300 cities and having a valuation of $50bn, the company is essentially a long haul from profitability.
5. Microsoft has served its ad business to Verizon-owned AOL in a move which ought to ruffle the feathers of search rival Google. Adage reports that an exclusive decade-long deal sees Bing the default search engine for AOL site queries.
6. The Washington Post has started encrypting parts of its site to stop hackers and government agencies to track its reader’s viewing habits. The publication made the announcement adding that the homepage, national security and tech stories will initially receive the protection.
7. Facebook has opened its first office on the African continent, reports Business Insider. Located in Johannesburg, South Africa, the base will help the firm build its ad network in Sub-Saharan Africa.
8. Music discovery app Shazam is now unveiling what music top artists are listening to, according to Engadget. Newly refreshed iOS and Android apps offer users the chance to follow hundreds of artists and identify their tastes.
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