Need to Know – The latest US media & marketing news: Google's powerful transgender ad, Fox confirms Murdoch's departure & Beastie Boys win Monster copyright case
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. Google has made a compelling ad about gender transition to mark LGBT Pride Month, writes Adweek. The new spot, which was created by Venables Bell & Partners, tells the poignant story of a transgender man and the small business that helped him during his transition
2. 21st Century Fox has confirmed that Rupert Murdoch will leave his post as chief executive officer on 1 July 2015. As expected he will hand his responsibilities to his son, James Murdoch, who is currently co-chief operating officer at the network.
3. Donald Trump finally took the plunge and launched his presidential campaign yesterday. The real estate billionaire and reality star announced the news at his 68-storey venue Trump Tower via a 45-minute long speech in which he promised to make the American Dream "better and stronger than ever before".
4. Uber has tapped Google's former head of mapping, writes Bloomberg. Brian McClendon will lead Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center, as the startup ramps up efforts to develop its own technology related to maps, navigation and transport.
5. Facebook's Nicola Mendelsohn has told Business Insider that she's not worried about the rise of ad blocking. "When advertising is relevant, humorous, entertaining, informative, and helps you to discover, it’s the most amazing thing in the world," she said.
6. Hulu is stepping up its fight against Netflix by ditching Hulu Plus, asserts the Verge. The streaming provider's premium subscription service isn't actually going anywhere, but in an attempt to simplify things the brand is putting all of its packages (both free and paid) under one umbrella.
7. Lucky magazine has ceased print operations, says AdAge. The Conde Nast-owned title has halted plans to shift from publishing 10 times a year to quarterly, allegedly laying off 14 staff as a result. Some staff are to be absorbed into Lucky Group's digital operation, which will continue unimpeded.
8. And the Beastie Boys have been awarded an additional $668,000 in a copyright-infringement lawsuit against Monster Energy drinks, says the New York Daily News. The win follows the band's successful lawsuit against the beverage maker for using the their songs in a commercial without permission.
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