Key Insights

AI-driven search is redefining how audiences discover information, weakening SEO-based traffic pipelines and reducing visibility of “shoppable content” for publishers. As digital media faces a “zero search traffic” reality, what becomes of sponsored content, affiliate models, and paid journalism as vital revenue streams? These shifts place both myself and the industry at a crossroads, as publishers must strengthen their role as trusted authorities for product recommendations and storytelling, while also working with LLMs to form new models for news distribution and monetization at its core. This also puts a revived value on trusted branded content - a brand having publishers power their messaging is now as vital as ever.

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Signature Work Achievements

Lena Grotticelli serves as Vice President of TAG24 NEWS US, where she leads business development, partnerships, strategy, and operations at the company’s US headquarters in New York’s One World Trade Center. With a sharp focus on expanding TAG24’s footprint, she has successfully built its US eCommerce, branding, and social media presence from the ground up, establishing the international brand as a key player in the US digital media landscape. Before stepping into her current role, Lena honed her editorial expertise as Senior Editor, where she specialized in managing international teams.She has been a panelist at numerous Affiliate Summit conferences, on industry podcasts, and was a participant of the International News Media Association's (INMA) 2025 Media, Tech, & AI Study Tour. She is currently a fellow at the AI Journalism Leaders Lab at Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, completing a capstone on content commerce for AI. Her strategic vision and hands-on leadership positions her as a dynamic force behind native advertising, industry innovation, and TAG24’s ongoing success.

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Career Lessons

Relationships. Relationships. Relationships. It's how we lift each other up that matters.