That question needs an answer well before anyone starts writing the press release.

A company may have a strong product, experienced people and important internal news. Journalists apply a different test. They look for relevance to the public, timing, novelty, impact and credible evidence.

When the material is there, media relations services shape the angle, prepare information and spokespeople, and approach appropriate outlets. When it is not there yet, serious advice should say so and help the company find a stronger route.

What makes a company story relevant to the media

A business story becomes stronger when it moves beyond the organisation and connects with the lives, work or decisions of the audience.

That standard matters in a fragmented news environment. The Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2026 found that the proportion of people who describe themselves as extremely or very interested in news fell by an average of 13 percentage points across the markets compared with 2021. Relevance cannot be assumed.

Useful signals include:

• new data about a sector, market or behaviour
• a change that affects customers, professionals or society
• an innovation with a practical application
• a decision with consequences that can be verified
• expert knowledge that helps explain a current issue
• people, context and a clear sense of why the story matters now

A real example: EY and the return to the office in the AI era

In August 2026, EY UK asked younger consulting professionals to spend more time in the office. The decision became news because it connected with an issue that reaches far beyond the company: as artificial intelligence takes on more technical tasks, human skills such as empathy, communication, storytelling and leadership become more important in early-career development. The story was reported by The Times and Scottish Financial News.

Here, the story is not simply that EY wants more people in the office. The editorial interest lies in the reason for the decision and its connection with a current debate about AI, human skills and the future of work.

“We have launched a new service” describes something that happened within a company. “Portuguese companies are changing how they onboard new employees, and these data show why” opens a broader conversation.

The service can be part of the story, but it needs an editorial reason that goes beyond selling.

Timing also matters. Research about summer travel sent in November has missed its moment. A specialist who comments on a regulatory change after every major outlet has already explained it arrives too late.

What media relations services actually do

Media relations services connect three worlds: what the organisation knows, what editors consider relevant and what the public needs to understand.

Identify potential stories

The work looks for developments, data, specialists, projects, changes and human stories. Not every subject needs a press release. Some work better as an interview, an expert comment, an opinion article or a direct conversation with one journalist.

Develop the angle

A useful angle explains what happened, why it matters now, who is affected and what evidence exists. This protects the story from promotional language and helps identify the right outlet. It also distinguishes sponsored content from editorial coverage. Sponsored content requires payment to the media outlet and is handled by its commercial team. Editorial coverage is handled by journalists and does not involve paying the outlet for publication.

Prepare materials

Press releases, background notes, press kits, biographies, questions and answers, images and data should make verification easier. Attractive materials with vague information add work for the journalist. Unless the story is particularly strong, there may be neither the time nor the staff to investigate further.

Prepare spokespeople

An interview needs clear messages, examples, confirmed facts and readiness for difficult questions. The spokesperson needs to understand the story and their role in it, without memorising a speech.

Build professional media relationships

A contact list needs criteria. Good media relations follows editorial areas, formats and professional interests. Sending the same pitch to a large list may increase the number of emails while reducing trust.

Follow up and evaluate

Publication remains an editorial decision. The work includes answering requests, correcting information and recording results. Quality and relevance matter more than a simple count of links.

When external media relations services make sense

Companies often seek support at one of these moments:

A launch or material change

A new solution, investment, partnership, expansion, study or leadership change may be newsworthy when it has a wider effect on a market or community.

Expertise that explains a current issue

Internal specialists can contribute to public debate when they have useful evidence, availability and the ability to explain without turning every answer into a sales presentation.

A lack of internal structure

The company has potential stories, but nobody gathers data, validates information, prepares spokespeople or maintains media relationships. External support can introduce method and clear responsibilities.

A sensitive moment

Change, incidents and difficult decisions require consistent messages and quick responses. Media relations may need to work alongside leadership, legal teams and crisis communication.

A medium-term reputation goal

Credible visibility develops through consistency. One article may help, but an ongoing relationship needs useful topics, reliable spokespeople and respect for editorial independence.

Examples of SAB Comunicar’s media relations results

These principles also guide SAB Comunicar’s client projects. Explore real examples of SAB Comunicar’s media relations work that led to news coverage, and see how different subjects became stories with editorial value.

External support has less value when the only aim is to “get coverage” or when the information cannot be verified. An initial diagnosis separates ambition from a realistic editorial opportunity.

What the company needs to prepare for media relations services

The work progresses faster when the organisation knows who decides, who confirms the facts and who can speak.

Before approaching the media, prepare:

• A communication objective: define what the company wants people to understand and which audiences matter. Coverage may support reputation, awareness, trust or the explanation of a change. Different objectives may need different indicators.
• Facts and evidence: gather data, dates, sources, documents, examples and permission to disclose them. Numbers without a method or context weaken a pitch.
• A spokesperson: choose someone who knows the subject and can explain it clearly
• An approval process: decide who approves materials and how quickly they can respond. A response that takes three days can mean missing an editorial opportunity.
• Realistic expectations: no serious adviser guarantees publication. They can commit to work, preparation, judgement, appropriate contacts and follow-up. The final decision always belongs to the outlet. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television channels and portals belong to the organisations that own and run them. Their editors decide what to publish and control the content. Think of it as a relationship to build, rather than a supplier-client transaction.

The most senior person is not automatically the right spokesperson. The right choice depends on the angle, the required expertise and the questions a journalist is likely to ask.

How to assess a proposal for media relations services

A strong proposal explains the problem, scope and way of working. Before choosing support, look for five things.

Knowledge of the business and sector

The team should understand what the company does, who needs to hear the message and which subjects already occupy the media space.

Editorial judgement

Ask how angles, outlets and journalists are selected. A promise based only on the size of a database says little about quality.

Internal preparation

Check whether the work covers information gathering, message development, materials and spokesperson preparation. Media relations starts inside the company.

Process and responsibilities

The proposal should define deliverables, timing, approvals, contacts and responses to opportunities. Without this map, urgency takes over.

Measurement

Assess the relevance of the outlets, the quality of the messages, potential reach, enquiries and contribution to reputation goals. Value does not fit into one number.

Turning company knowledge into editorial interest

Media relations services work when there is a bridge between what the company knows and what the public needs to understand.

That bridge needs evidence, timing, clear messages, prepared spokespeople and respect for journalism. It also requires the confidence to stop a weak press release and invest in a better story.

SAB Comunicar helps companies identify angles, prepare materials and spokespeople, and build professional relationships with the media. Explore SAB Comunicar’s media relations services or contact us to explain the context and objective. An initial conversation can establish whether there is a viable story and what support would be useful.

By

SAB Comunicar

Last updated: 27 October 2026

The company may be communicating frequently while missing strategy, decision criteria and a useful way to evaluate results. Consultancy can also support growth, a launch, a new market, organisational change or a sensitive moment.

The work starts with diagnosis. It then turns scattered content and competing requests into a plan with clear messages, priorities and responsibilities. The result should be communication that is more useful to customers, colleagues, partners and decision-makers.

Signs that a company needs communication consultancy services

Some problems arrive as requests for content, but their cause sits in strategy, messages or process.

The value proposition changes depending on who is speaking

The sales team explains one thing, the website presents another and social media adds a third version. The audience has to do the work of interpretation.

There are many activities but no clear priority

The team publishes content, creates presentations and prepares announcements. One question is missing: which objective should this activity support? Work increases without a shared rule for deciding what belongs in the plan.

An important change needs to be explained

New leadership, a merger, a launch, an incident or entry into another market requires clear messages and prepared people. Improvisation increases noise and misunderstanding.

Experts know the subject but struggle to translate it

Technical teams understand the detail. They may need support to make it clear, relevant and useful to customers, journalists or senior decision-makers.

Visibility opportunities do not become value

The company receives invitations and has useful knowledge, but lacks a strong angle, a prepared spokesperson or a consistent relationship with the media.

These signs may justify a diagnosis, a defined project or specialist support at key moments.

What communication consultancy should solve

The right intervention depends on the cause. Communication consultancy services can work at several levels.

Strategy and priorities

Consultancy defines audiences, objectives, messages, channels and decision criteria. This helps avoid isolated or disconnected activity and concentrates resources on work that can support business results.

Messages and content

It turns technical or dispersed knowledge into value propositions, web pages, articles, presentations, sales materials and useful content for each audience.

Press relations

It identifies topics with editorial value, prepares angles, press releases and spokespeople, and builds professional relationships with relevant media. Publication depends on the story and the editorial decision. A serious consultancy cannot guarantee coverage.

Training for teams

Training develops the skills to present ideas, adapt messages, communicate with customers and handle difficult conversations. It makes sense when the challenge depends on behaviour and on deliberate, everyday practice in how each team member communicates.

Processes and responsibilities

Consultancy clarifies who gathers information, who validates it, who publishes and how progress is evaluated. Many content problems begin with a process that has no owner or realistic deadline.

A project may combine these areas. The important point is the connection between the business objective, the people involved and the communication that reaches the audience.

How communication consultancy services work

The exact shape should fit the challenge, but a simple sequence keeps the work focused.

1. Diagnosis

The consultancy gathers information about objectives, audiences, messages, channels, content, processes and results. Interviews, documents and existing data help separate perception from evidence.

2. Priorities

Everything does not need to be fixed at once. The diagnosis identifies the problems with the greatest impact and makes the limits of the project explicit.

3. Strategy and messages

This stage defines positioning, core messages, arguments and rules for adapting communication to different audiences.

4. Action plan

Decisions become channels, content, owners, a schedule and indicators. The plan must fit the resources that actually exist. This is the point at which to ask whether the plan is trying to fit too much into too little. One person cannot manage a website and five social networks, or at least cannot do so with strategy, quality and results.

5. Implementation and capability

The consultancy may create materials, support execution or train the internal team. The model depends on the team’s autonomy and the complexity of the work.

6. Evaluation

Indicators should match the objective. Enquiries, proposals, media coverage, use of sales materials, training participation and fewer internal errors measure different outcomes.

This sequence gives the organisation a clear route. People know why each action exists, who decides and what result will be observed.

How to choose the right support

Before commissioning a project, check four criteria.

The problem and expected result

A useful proposal explains the problem and the desired change. “Improve communication” is broad. “Reduce inconsistencies in sales proposals” or “prepare the company to speak to the media” creates clearer work and indicators.

Understanding of context

The consultancy should understand the business, audiences, culture and available resources. A solution copied from another organisation usually creates extra work and limited engagement.

Ability to involve the team

Communication happens across departments. The project needs to listen to the right people, clarify responsibilities and create tools that the team can continue to use.

Connection between strategy and execution

A diagnosis without application stays in a drawer. A stream of content without direction loses coherence. Look for support that connects decisions to messages, channels, materials and routines.

The proposal should define scope, deliverables, timing, responsibilities and validation points. It should also explain what belongs to the consultancy and what depends on the company.

Turning scattered communication into a working system

Communication consultancy services make sense when a lack of clarity starts to affect decisions, relationships or opportunities. A good diagnosis separates symptoms from causes and identifies the right intervention.

The next step may be a strategic plan, team training, message development, copywriting or press relations. The solution depends on the objective, audience and internal capacity to act.

SAB Comunicar provides communication consultancy services to companies in Portugal and international teams, with support for messages, content, training and media relations. Explore the services for companies and send us a message about the challenge you need to solve.

By

SAB Comunicar

In communication, this matters because the label “communication training” can cover very different needs. A team may need to handle difficult conversations better, make meetings more focused, improve customer responses, explain technical information more clearly or help managers give useful feedback. The clearer the problem, the easier it is to choose relevant training and assess its impact.

What Portugal’s FCT allows

Decree-Law no. 115/2023 changed the framework of the Fundo de Compensação do Trabalho (FCT) and widened the purposes for which employers may mobilise their balances. One of those purposes is this employee training funding is qualification and certified training.

The framework provides for employees of the company to benefit from these purposes. It also limits the number of withdrawals: balances below €400,000 may be drawn on up to twice; balances above that amount, up to four times.

To request a withdrawal, the employer must declare the amount, purpose and employees who will benefit, under a declaration of honour. The employer must also consult employee representative bodies. Where these do not exist, employees must be informed of the intended withdrawal at least 10 consecutive days in advance.

Timing also matters. Balances may be drawn on during the transitional framework, and the funds must be used before the FCT is wound up, scheduled for the end of 2026. Companies should confirm their balance, the procedure and supporting documents through the official Fundos de Compensação website and with their legal, financial or accounting teams. The applicable framework may depend on each company’s circumstances.

Before choosing training, identify the right communication problem

Available employee training funding can create a temptation to start with a training catalogue. A more useful starting point is the work itself: which communication difficulty is affecting performance, service or collaboration?

Some signs are easy to recognise:

• conflicts that keep returning between teams or departments
• managers who postpone feedback or difficult conversations
• long meetings that end without clear decisions
• internal messages that create different interpretations
• technical presentations that non-specialist audiences struggle to understand
• customer complaints handled inconsistently
• sales teams that find it difficult to explain value and adapt their approach

These situations do not all need the same response. A session on assertive communication may help in one context, while another may require shared criteria, clearer processes or practice with very specific situations.

A short diagnosis helps separate symptoms from causes. It may include conversations with managers, short questionnaires, examples of real messages or meetings, and identification of the situations where a change would make the greatest difference.

A broad objective such as “improve team communication” can then become something observable, such as “help managers give clear feedback, listen to the response and agree next actions” or “create a consistent approach to complex complaints while keeping responses personalised”.

Five questions to assess a communication training proposal

Before choosing a provider to use you employee training funding, compare proposals against five practical questions.

1. What should change at work?

The programme should explain what participants will be able to do differently after the training. Objectives such as structuring a difficult conversation, adapting a message to different audiences or presenting data to senior management are more useful than broad promises.

2. Do the cases reflect the company’s reality?

Training becomes easier to apply when exercises are close to real situations. Without sharing confidential information, the organisation can provide examples of meetings, messages, complaints or presentations that represent its most common challenges.

3. Is there enough time to practise and receive feedback?

Communication develops through understanding, practice and reflection. A balanced proposal should include exercises, simulations, case analysis and focused feedback. Theory provides a shared structure, while practice turns that structure into decisions and behaviour.

4. How will learning be assessed?

Assessment can combine self-assessment, observation during exercises, application plans and follow-up. The method should match the objective. If the priority is presentations, comparing a presentation before and after training can be useful. If the focus is difficult conversations, simulations with clear criteria may be more appropriate.

5. Does the proposal meet the necessary requirements?

Before contracting training, the company should confirm that the programme and supporting documentation meet the conditions applicable to FCT employee training funding mobilisation. This can include certification, identification of participants, proof of attendance, eligible costs, invoicing and evidence of how the funds were used. These points should be validated with the relevant official sources and internal teams.

From FCT employee training funding balance to a useful training plan

A simple process can organise the decision in six steps.

1. Check the company’s FCT employee training funding account and confirm the available balance
2. Validate the internal framework and timing, including any consultation or communication periods
3. Choose one or two communication priorities with an impact on work, service or collaboration
4. Request a proposal that connects objectives, content, methodology, duration, participants and assessment
5. Confirm eligibility and gather the required documents before submitting the request
6. Follow up after the training with simple commitments and review points

This planning avoids two losses: leaving an FCT balance unused and investing in training that does not change how people work. Employee training funding creates value when learning responds to a recognised need and is put into practice.

It is also useful to appoint an internal contact. That person can coordinate HR, finance, participants, managers and the training provider so that administrative requirements and learning decisions remain connected.

Communication training as an investment in work performance

When the diagnosis is clear, communication training can support very specific outcomes: a better customer experience, less friction between teams, clearer decisions, stronger leadership conversations and technical messages that are easier to understand.

SAB Comunicar designs communication training around real organisational challenges. The starting point is to understand where communication is creating difficulty, who needs to do something differently and which situations should be practised during the programme.

If your company has an FCT balance and is considering communication training, you can request an initial conversation and a tailored proposal. In your message, include the approximate number of participants, the main communication challenges, the preferred timing and, if known, the internal framework for the FCT request.

Before contracting, confirm the legal, financial and certification requirements that apply to your organisation so you can make effective use of your employee training funding.

By

SAB Comunicar

It is a practical skill for aligning decisions, giving feedback, managing expectations and addressing problems before they turn into conflicts between people and teams.

An assertive message combines facts, impact and the next step: three essential ingredients. It avoids accusations and generalisations, while making sure the essential points are expressed. The aim is to help the other person understand the situation and know what to do next.

What changes with assertive communication at work

Assertive communication is very different from speaking more loudly or choosing gentle words for every situation. It means adapting your message to the context and taking responsibility for what is within your control.

Assertive communication at work makes a difference in very specific situations: a deadline that will be missed, a priority that has changed, a client who understood a proposal differently, or behaviour that is affecting the team.

Clear, direct language reduces the scope for unexpected interpretations and helps address problems earlier. Vague expressions can make it harder to resolve conflict informally, while an open conversation and a neutral description help move the discussion forward.

Before speaking, organise three elements:

• the observable fact, without labelling the person
• the impact on the work, relationship or outcome
• the request or decision that allows everyone to move forward

This sequence is simple, but it requires preparation when the conversation involves tension, hierarchy or consequences for other people.

Difficult conversations: facts, impact and the next step

A difficult conversation becomes even harder when it starts with a judgement about the person. “You are disorganised” or “you never listen” turns a specific situation into a personal judgement.

Start with what you can describe: facts, without interpretation.

Instead of: “Your team never meets deadlines.”

Try: “On the last two deliveries, we received the materials after the agreed date. That reduced our review time and meant we had to change the client’s schedule. Today, we need to agree a realistic deadline and an interim check-in.”

The second version makes it possible to discuss facts and decisions. It also leaves room to hear information you do not yet have.

If the other person disagrees, return to the examples and ask what they see differently. Assertiveness includes listening. A one-sided conversation may convey an instruction, but it rarely resolves a problem that depends on several people.

Feedback that guides action

Feedback becomes useful when the person understands which behaviour to maintain or change. “You need to communicate better” does not clarify the problem or show what to do.

Describe the situation and its consequence.

Example: “In yesterday’s presentation, you gave the recommendation before explaining the evidence behind it. The client repeatedly asked us to go back, and we lost time. In the next meeting, start with the context, present two pieces of evidence, and then move on to the recommendation.”

The evidence reviewed by the CIPD shows that feedback can support learning and performance, but can also have negative effects when handled poorly. How the message reaches the person influences what happens next.

Check that the message has been understood and agree an observable behaviour for the next situation: something the person can recognise and do differently. Effective feedback ends with guidance rather than a vague impression of the person. In practice, assertive communication at work also depends on the quality of the feedback each person receives.

Client communication: check before promising

With clients, pressure to respond quickly can create commitments the team has not yet assessed. An assertive response acknowledges the request, clarifies its scope and states when a decision will be available.

Instead of: “Yes, we can take care of that.”

Try: “I understand you need to add this content before the launch. I will check the impact on the schedule and get back to you by 4 pm with two options.”

This response shows willingness to help without promising something that has not yet been confirmed.

It is also useful when you need to explain that a change falls outside the agreed work: “This request adds a new piece of work to the project. We can go ahead, but we need to review the deadline and budget before confirming.”

Assertive communication at work also protects client relationships by making the conditions of each decision clear.

Meetings and change: reduce ambiguity

A meeting can end with apparent agreement and different understandings of what was decided. At the end, state the decision, who is responsible and the deadline.

Example: “We have agreed to keep the launch on Friday. The product team will finalise the copy by Tuesday, and marketing will approve it on Wednesday. The support issue remains open and will be decided tomorrow.”

For internal changes, add context. Explain what is changing, why the decision was made, who is affected, what happens now and where people can ask questions. This helps put assertive communication at work into practice, especially when changes affect several teams.

A short message can contain all these elements. Leaving out the reasoning and expecting everyone to fill the gaps with their own interpretation increases confusion and conflicting interpretations.

How to prepare an assertive conversation in five minutes

Before a demanding conversation, set aside five minutes to organise what you want to say. This preparation is particularly useful when deadlines are tight, opinions differ or there is a hierarchical relationship.

Start by writing down the fact you can demonstrate. Avoid words such as “always” and “never” when they do not accurately describe the situation. Then identify the specific impact: what changed in the work, the client relationship or the ability to honour a commitment?

Next, define the outcome you want. Do you need to clarify a decision, negotiate a deadline, address a behaviour or understand a difficulty? A clear objective helps you choose your tone and keep the conversation on track.

Prepare a sincere question for the other person, too. For example: “What information am I missing that would help me understand what happened?” Hearing the answer may change the solution, even when the initial facts are correct.

Finally, choose a specific, realistic request. Instead of “We need to improve communication”, try “Can we confirm the decisions and who is responsible in writing at the end of each meeting?” Assertive communication at work becomes more useful when it ends with an observable commitment.

If the subject is sensitive, choose a private setting and allow enough time. An important conversation held in a rush can create more questions than it resolves.

Common mistakes that undermine assertive communication

A common mistake is confusing clarity with harshness. Speaking abruptly does not make a message more effective. You can be direct while recognising the context and the other person’s perspective.

Another mistake is making vague requests. “I need you to be more proactive” can mean different things to different people. It is more useful to explain what initiative is expected, in which situations and with how much autonomy.

Choosing the wrong channel is also common. A complex disagreement may require a conversation, while a decision already made benefits from a written record, whether an email or a document. The choice depends on the subject, the relationship and the consequences.

Some conversations contain many arguments but leave no room for a response. Assertive communication at work requires time to listen and a willingness to adjust the message in light of new information.

Finally, a good conversation loses value when nobody confirms the next step. Close with three simple elements: what has been decided, who will take each action and when progress will be checked.

These measures do not eliminate every conflict, but they help make disagreements clearer and create conditions for resolving them with respect and responsibility.

When training or consultancy makes sense

Assertiveness also depends on the channel and timing. A sensitive issue rarely improves through a long email exchange with several people copied in. Choose a conversation when you need to hear the context, check understanding or negotiate a solution. Afterwards, record the decision, responsibilities and deadlines in writing. This combination protects both the relationship and the work: the conversation allows the message to be adjusted; the written record prevents the decision from being lost.

If there is a significant power imbalance, prepare specific examples and a clear request before entering the conversation.

Assertive communication at work develops through examples drawn from real working situations and opportunities to practise. Training can support teams that need to practise feedback, meetings, difficult conversations, presentations or client communication.

Consultancy makes more sense when the problem also lies in processes: decisions arriving through different channels, unclear responsibilities, contradictory messages or a lack of shared criteria.

Before choosing an intervention, identify where communication breaks down, who is affected and which behaviour or process needs to change. The answer helps distinguish a skill that needs practice from a system that needs reorganisation.

If you want to work on these challenges with your team, explore our assertive communication training for companies or contact us to explain your context. An initial conversation helps identify which format could offer the most value.

By

SAB Comunicar