Because the first thing they get wrong is the tone – and often they do not realise it. An agency unfamiliar with AIFA regulations, the Farmindustria Code or tobacco communications restrictions is likely to produce content that must be revised, rejected or, worse, published without the necessary safeguards. The cost of those mistakes – in time, budget and reputation – always outweighs any initial saving.

Using metrics that reflect the context: qualified media coverage rather than volume alone, sentiment across specialist media, engagement with key stakeholder communities (physicians, pharmacists, dealers and institutional stakeholders), and long-term reputation indicators. In regulated industries, the quality of positioning will always matter more than the quantity of coverage.

Regulated sectors are those where communication is bound by specific rules: pharmaceuticals and healthcare, automotive, tobacco, logistics and transport, along with corporate and institutional communications. In each, every message must be accurate, verifiable and compliant, with constraints that vary from sector to sector.

Through upstream preparation: risk mapping, pre-approved compliant messages, a single point of contact for the media, and coordination with legal and regulatory functions. In a constrained environment speed matters, and every response stays accurate and compliant, protecting reputation and trust together.