Unlike many PRs, Maria has a very clear understanding of what we write and why we write it. Her suggestions are always well considered and intelligent, and she's good fun into the bargain.
Smart, sassy, quick and to the point - that's what Maria delivers. Creative and extremely hard-working with a good sense of humour, she is a journalist's dream PR.
I have known and worked with Maria for years. In a business when you can be plagued by pitches for stories that are either a) hopeless or b) totally unsuitable for our readership, it is always good to pick up the phone and hear Maria’s pitch on the other end. She is straightforward to deal with, being both honest and refreshingly free of bullshit. A pleasure to deal with.
Maria is persuasive, realistic and charming. I have tremendous respect for her because she has the rather rare ability to think laterally at all times. If I've ever rejected an idea, she's come back immediately with a plan b, c, or d. She thinks on her feet, but then puts plans straight into motion. I know, for example, that we can close a deal and I can concentrate on my stories while Maria does everything - and more - that she’s promised. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with her, because she gets results and that is all that matters in her business, and ours. I spend my life avoiding calls from PRs. I pick up the phone to Maria immediately. That probably says it all!
In short, Maria and her team "get it". They know what makes a good story, how to package it and how to sell it. They are prepared to go the extra mile to give journalists what they need to satisfy demanding newsdesks and get the story on the page. That's how they get great media coverage for their clients.
Maria Boyle is one of the brightest and sharpest PR execs I have ever met during my 10 years working on national newspapers. Above all she has the rare and precious quality of knowing what a story is - and she also has the ability to obtain maximum exposure for her clients into the bargain. She is simply a dream to work with and a top, top PR professional.
It's not often that you find someone who not only understands a news angle but delivers on their promises in the PR world, and Maria Boyle consistently does both - often going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that a project is a success.
What follows is not an advertising feature. I glady admit that my choice of subject is the result of a letter I received from Maria Boyle. It was a comment on last week’s celebration of book festivals, and it argued, perfectly reasonably, that while it is lovely to have living authors promoting new titles, one by product of such events is the neglect of great novels, which are not perceived to be ‘as sexy as the latest bestseller’. Another letter from Maria Boyle would be welcome.
Maria Boyle is a rare creature indeed - a PR person whose call you DO want to take. She knows exactly how and where to pitch possible stories and doesn't waste journalists' time with irrelevancies. She is never unpleasantly pushy and is always responsive and intelligent.
I am always reluctant to recommend PR companies, but MB Communications is the one with an exception. They do a fantastic job and are always excellent to deal with. Maria is a lady with lots of drive, enthusiasm and never takes a no for an answer!
The great thing about Maria is that she doesn't play games. You can have a frank conversation - rather than one of those tedious, circular ones, and get things sorted tout suite!
Maria is a complete dynamo and one of the very few people who really ‘gets’ it from all angles when it comes to beauty editorial – she knows which style of approach will appeal most to different media outlets, how to tie any current offering in to their varying needs and is a demon on effective follow-through!