“Our message is not landing.”
“We’re not sure who we should be targeting.”
“We have a lot of content, but it doesn’t trigger any engagement.”
“We don’t have the resources to organise an event.”
Does this all sound too familiar to you?
In today’s Brussels ecosystem, visibility has become a priority for many organisations. Everyone wants to be present, engaged, and heard.
The numbers speak for themselves. The EU Transparency Register now lists over 14,800 organisations claiming to actively lobby the EU institutions, a big increase from around 5,500 a decade ago. And an estimated 25,000–30,000 lobbyists work regularly around the EU institutions, compared with roughly 15,000 in the early 2000s. This means that around 700 MEPs, a few thousand Commission officials and national attachés are confronted daily with an unprecedented volume of briefings, position papers, meetings and messages.
As a result, policy communication has become far more than a supporting function of advocacy. It is now what determines whether organisations are heard or overlooked. In an environment saturated with competing messages, effective policy communication is what allows organisations to position themselves as credible and trusted voices among a multitude of stakeholders, ensuring their expertise is recognised and their priorities are taken seriously.
What is policy communication?
At its core, policy communication helps align business interests with EU priorities and fosters constructive cooperation with policymakers to advance objectives that contribute to the European project. In a nutshell, policy communication helps businesses speak the EU’s language.
However, in an already crowded environment, policy communication is often driven less by strategy and more by fear of missing out. The pressure to participate in every debate, consultation, or campaign can lead to fragmented messaging and undermine credibility.
It goes without saying: today, the impact of advocacy increasingly depends not only on the strength of the topic, but also on the clarity, credibility and strategic timing of its communication.
At Publyon, we believe that effective policy communication is not about being everywhere. It is about being relevant, credible, and consistent. This article does not intend to show you how, but hopefully it will give you a glimpse on what we think is important to succeed in your advocacy objectives and build sustainable relationships in the EU bubble.
How did we shift from public affairs to policy communication?
Not so long ago, public affairs was primarily understood as a relationship-driven function. Its main purpose was to build and maintain networks with policymakers, monitor legislative developments, and react when regulatory proposals threatened business interests.
Success was often measured by access: knowing the right people, being present in the right meetings, and intervening at the right moment. Communication, in this context, played a marginal role. It was mainly used to share technical updates and circulate position papers, but nobody gave much attention to it.
Over time, this approach has changed.
Today, public affairs is increasingly demonstrating how businesses and organisations contribute to European policy objectives. Rather than positioning themselves solely as stakeholders reacting to regulation, organisations are now expected to show how their activities align with broader EU priorities, from sustainability, digitalisation to competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
In this new context, policy communication has become a strategic asset.
Organisations are no longer judged only on their technical expertise or their networks, but also on their ability to:
- Explain their role in supporting EU goals;
- Communicate long-term commitments and investments;
- Share evidence of real-world impact;
- Engage transparently with policymakers and society as a whole.
Public affairs has therefore evolved from a primarily defensive function into a proactive one focused on positioning organisations as credible partners in the pursuit of shared objectives.
This shift has made communication central to advocacy strategy. It is no longer enough to react behind closed doors. Organisations must now articulate their contribution publicly, consistently, and convincingly.
The challenge is not visibility but having one clear narrative across all possible ways to convey it.
Rethinking “impact” in advocacy
One of the most common questions organisations keep bringing up is: “How can we make sure this action creates impact?”
What seems to be a bitter pill to swallow for most is that in advocacy, impact is not about short-term visibility. It is about strengthening your position in the policy ecosystem which can only be achieved via continuous efforts to build reputation and nurture solid relationships.
In public affairs, success is rarely measured in clicks, impressions, or engagement rates.
Instead, it is reflected in:
- Trust from policymakers
- Reputation among stakeholders
- Long-term relationships
- Recognition as a credible partner
These elements take time to build, but they are essential for lasting influence.
Advocacy cannot be conceived as a one-off action but a sustained strategic commitment.
Organisations that approach policy communication as a long-term investment are better positioned to shape debates and contribute meaningfully to EU policymaking.
The role of storytelling and evidence in policy communication
Nowadays information is everywhere. Reports, briefings, position papers, and opinions circulate daily. What is increasingly rare is genuine attention.
In response, “storytelling” has become one of the most frequently used buzzwords in public affairs. Everyone talks about the need to tell better stories, to simplify messages, and test with different formats and styles (mostly taken from the commercial marketing toolbox – see the use of social media and visual aspects such as video content…). Yet storytelling is not a shortcut to influence and when overused or poorly applied, it can dilute credibility rather than strengthening it.
Effective policy communication means using storytelling intelligently: to clarify complex issues, make real-world impacts tangible, and connect policy proposals to everyday realities.
Publyon’s approach to policy communication
At Publyon, we see advocacy and communication as inseparable, like a map and a compass to get to your destination.
Our advocacy framework illustrates how this approach works in practice and how policy communication can support long-term influence.
If you would like to explore how your organisation can strengthen its policy communication and advocacy approach, we would be happy to continue the conversation. Use the contact form below to reach out to us.
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About the author
Daniela Brucoli is the Head of Strategic Communication at Publyon. She is an expert in policy communication strategies and storytelling, supporting clients pursue their advocacy objectives in Brussels.
