Ballard Partners, a prominent lobbying firm with offices in Washington, D.C., Florida, and other key areas, has agreed to represent TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned video app.The firm, known for its close ties to Donald Trump and its fundraising efforts on his behalf, will advocate for TikTok's interests in the face of increasing regulatory pressure.In April 2024, President Joe Biden signed a law that would require TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app within a year or face a ban in the United States. This legislation was prompted by concerns over ByteDance's connections to the Chinese government and the potential risks to American user data.Trump, who once championed the divestiture of TikTok, has since reversed his stance, arguing that it would benefit Facebook, a company he frequently criticizes. His change of heart may also be influenced by the revelation that a major Republican donor, Jeff Yass, has a significant stake in ByteDance.Leading the Ballard Partners team representing TikTok is Brian Ballard, a prominent Republican fundraiser and a close associate of Trump. He is joined by a team of experienced lobbyists, including Dan McFaul, Michael LaRosa, and Stephen Klopp.

Global public relations agency Burson has appointed Chris Creegan as the new Director of Gaming & Esports, based in Dubai. In this role, Creegan will lead communications strategies for clients within the rapidly expanding gaming and esports industry across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.Creegan joins Burson from TikTok, where he served as Gaming Partnerships Manager, driving key initiatives and collaborations within the gaming sector. His move to Burson reflects the agency’s commitment to strengthening its expertise and services in the booming gaming and esports market in the MENA region, which has seen significant growth in recent years due to increased investment, a burgeoning player base, and a rise in esports events.Creegan's expertise in building strategic partnerships within the gaming community, combined with his deep understanding of digital platforms, will be instrumental in crafting compelling narratives and driving impactful campaigns for Burson's clients. His appointment comes at a time when the MENA gaming market is projected to continue its rapid growth, driven by technological advancements and a young, tech-savvy population.Burson’s expansion into the gaming and esports sector is part of a broader strategy to cater to the evolving needs of the digital economy in the region, where gaming has emerged as a key cultural and economic force. Creegan will collaborate closely with Burson’s global network to deliver innovative communication solutions tailored to the unique demands of the gaming and esports industries.

Reddit is bucking the trend! According to a recent report by digital market research company eMarketer, Reddit is seeing the biggest growth in daily time spent by users in the US compared to other social media platforms.Reddit Users Spending More TimeThe forecast predicts a significant jump in daily Reddit usage for 2024. Redditors can expect to spend an average of 31 minutes per day on the platform, which is an 11% increase from 2023's average of 28 minutes.Growth for Instagram, Decline for OthersWhile Reddit shines, some other platforms see mixed results. Instagram is projected to experience a modest increase of 1.3% in daily usage. However, the outlook isn't as bright for the biggest names in social media.Facebook and TikTok See SlowdownFacebook, the current king of social media in terms of monthly active users, is expected to see a decline in both user growth and daily usage. eMarketer predicts a -1.2% dip in average daily time spent on Facebook in 2024. Surprisingly, the wildly popular short-form video platform TikTok is also expected to cool down slightly, with a projected -1.2% decrease in daily user activity.Twitter and Snapchat Continue to StruggleThe news gets worse for Twitter (formerly known as Twitter) which has faced challenges since Elon Musk's takeover in 2022. eMarketer forecasts a steeper decline of -3.8% in daily user time for Twitter. Messaging app Snapchat isn't faring much better, with a predicted -4.5% drop in daily usage.Reddit's Rise Linked to Ad Revenue GrowthThe rise of Reddit usage is translating to growing advertising revenue. eMarketer predicts a 28% increase in ad revenue for Reddit in 2024, reaching an estimated $741 million. This growth is likely fueled by Reddit's expanding user base. Backlinko's findings show that Reddit boasted approximately 73 million daily active users in the fourth quarter of 2023, a significant 27% increase from the same period in 2022 (57.5 million daily active users).The Bottom LineWhile some social media platforms are seeing a decline in user engagement, Reddit is defying the trend. With daily usage on the rise and ad revenue growing, Reddit is establishing itself as a major player in the social media landscape.

Shweta Chawla exclusively shared with Adgully that she has joined Lionsgate Play as the lead PR and Communications professional. Before joining Lionsgate Play, Shweta spent almost three years handling Amazon India's Consumer Communications. She has also served as a Corporate & Consumer Communications Specialist at Trell and TikTok.Additionally, Chawla has experience handling PR and Communication for The Viral Fever. In her early career, Shweta worked with Viacom18 Media for over four years, starting as a PR intern and gradually progressing to a Corporate Communication specialist.