Need to Know – The latest US media & marketing news: Apple ranked world's most valuable brand, Snapchat boasts 100m users & Google's $20m disability tech fund
Morning all, here’s a glimpse at all the media and marketing news you should know today.
1. Snapchat now boasts 100m daily active users, according to company chief executive Evan Spiegel. Business Insider notes that the app's userbase is a tenth the size of Facebook's but records almost half of the social network's video views.
2. The next season of America's Got Talent will be sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts. Adage reports, as per the agreement the brand's products will feature on the judges' table to tempt viewers.
3. Google has invested $20m in tech initiatives for disabled people. NBC reports that the Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities program will aid non-profits developing assistive technologies, starting off with a $600,000 grant to the Enable Community Foundation and a $500,000 award to World Wide Hearing.
4. EBay has altered its promoted listing service to only charge sellers when the slot leads to a sale. MediaPost reports that the change focuses on mobile and a cost-per-sale (CPS) business model.
5. Re/code has been snapped up by Vox Media in a move which will bring the site closer to former rival publication, the Verge. A release from Vox Media asserts that the editorial structure of each team will be unchanged although there will be infrequent collaboration projects.
6. Apple has pipped Google to the post to become the world's most valuable brand, according to WPP and Millward Brown's annual Brandz rankings. Business Insider reports that tech brands dominate the top ten and even represent a third of the value in the global top 100.
7. Facebook is piloting a new scheme which implements top critic reviews when users search for restaurants on-site. Mashable notes that publications included are the New York Magazine, Bon Appétit, the San Francisco Chronicle, Condé Nast Traveler and Eater.
8. A Rhode Island health report has blamed dating apps such as Tinder for a rise in STD outbreaks, according to the HuffPost. The study blamed "high-risk behaviors include using social media to arrange casual and often anonymous sexual encounters."
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