The 10 things in advertising you need to know today
1. Apple is reportedly set to launch a subscription streaming TV service in the fall. It could kneecap cable.
2. The new Apple TV could also be the shot in the arm needed to wake up the company's sleeping giant of an advertising business iAd. By combining the reach and quality of TV, with the measurability of online advertising, iAd could become a much bigger business.
3. Sir Martin Sorrell has confirmed WPP is interested in buying a stake in Dunnhumby, the big data and loyalty business owned by Tesco. He said manufacturers ought to have the best data on what their own customers are doing but, oddly, Dunnhumby has better data on brands than many brands do.
4. Pinterest just raised a huge $367 million funding round. It is now worth $11 billion.
5. Adidas is coming for the next LeBron James. The company is not extending its estimated $36 million a year apparel deal with the NBA in 2016 and is instead going after player sponsorships.
6. Adidas is stitching NFC into its footwear. It wants to find out more about who buys its sneakers.
7. Facebook is set to make a huge measurement move that will affect every app developer on the planet. The Information reports that Facebook will announce a new service that will enable brands to determine whether an ad - bought via Facebook or elsewhere on the web - actually caused a person to download an app.
8. Google is pleading with Firefox users to stop using Yahoo. The search engine is prominently asking Firefox users who do not have Google set as their default search engine to change when they visit the site.
9. A former Google exec has warned YouTube stars to "think twice" before jumping ship to rival services or TV networks for a bigger paycheck. Rightster CEO Patrick Walker told the Guardian "a high revenue-share and a big check with no audience is no strategy."
10. Sephora is selling an inappropriately-named lipstick that has people disgusted. It's called "Underage Red."