AOL/HP: Parsing the AOL and Huffington Post Merger

Late last night came word that AOL is buying Huffington Post for $315 million. Early this morning came more words, via the parties' conference call with journalists and analysts, about what exactly the deal means for both brands.

The call, with AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, his new editorial czar Arianna Huffington and AOL CFO Artie Minson, flush from announcing their deal at the Super Bowl, sounded like they were fresh from one of last night's XLV commercials.

The deal, declared Huffington, “is a dramatic accelerator. We’ve just gotten off a fast train and on to a supersonic jet.”Continue reading...