Need to Know – The latest US media & marketing news: Twitter eyes Flipboard, Jony Ive gets promoted & AOL On inks deal with the Guardian
Morning all, here’s a glimpse at all the media and marketing news you should know today.
Need to Know – The latest US media & marketing news
1. Twitter is allegedly looking to buy magazine-style curation app Flipboard, claims Business Insider. The all-stock deal would value the app at $1bn, with discussions apparently being pushed by the social network's chief financial officer Anthony Noto.
2. A leaked memo from Tim Cook has confirmed that Apple's Sir Jony Ive has been promoted to chief design officer at Apple. Ives, who has been senior vice-president of design for several years, will give up the day-to-day management of the hardware and software design departments, which will free him up for other projects.
3. The Guardian has signed a global video deal with AOL On. The newspaper will provide content, including documentaries, to the YouTube competitor's network of publisher partners. Videos will be distributed across the channel's international network which includes its own sites, such as Huffington Post, as well as third parties including Daily Mirror publisher Trinity Mirror, TalkTalk and Videojug.
4. Charter Communications has finalized its merger agreement with Time Warner Cable, writes the International Business Times. The cable giants have struck a $78.7bn cash-and-stock deal and according to a joint statement Charter will pay $195.71 a share.
5. Uber wants to conquer airports, asserts Time. The ride-sharing service is reportedly brokering deals with airports around the US to allow its drivers to pick up arriving passengers in the same way traditional taxis do.
6. PacSun has upset shoppers with "disrespectful" mannequin, which was pictured sporting a T-shirt emblazoned with a design of an upside down American flag, according to USA today. The Californian retailer was forced to remove the item after customers took to Twitter to complain that the display coincided with Memorial Day.
7. The National Security Agency (NSA) is preparing to shut down its mass surveillance programs, according to Venture Beat. With the legal foundation of the schemes – the Patriot Act – set to expire at the end of the month, a late Senate vote has determined that the NSA is to start making moves to ditch them.
8. And Taco Bell is to eliminate artificial colors, flavors and added trans fat to 'simplify' its menu, says AdAge. The fast food chain is following in the footsteps of McDonald's and Kraft by responding to consumer desire for perceived healthy items. The move will affect 95 per cent of the restaurant's menu, but will not impact beverages or co-branded items.
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