A Day in the Life- Agency PR vs. Corporate PR

by Evelyn Lewis

The following questions are answered by experienced professionals in agency and corporate PR.

Emily Ciantra worked for Dunkin’ Brands, the parent company of Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins, after college before coming to Restaurant Brands International (RBI), where she leads all external and internal communications.

Halle Blum started her career in entertainment, working to be an agent. After three years, she realized that path wasn’t for her and entered the PR world in an agency capacity before going to RBI a year later.

Q: What does/did a typical day at work look like for you?

Ciantra: “Given that my scope is fairly wide, each and every day looks extremely different. If we have a big internal meeting, you can find me prepping for that. If we are gearing up for an announcement, I will be collaborating with cross-functional partners to ensure everything is looking good. If I am in a crisis, I will reprioritize my day to make sure that is handled with care. Or you can find me on the road, supporting our leaders or executing a PR stunt.”

Blum: “Every day looks so different. I am constantly working on projects, building decks, writing for our Popeyes blog, or meeting with coworkers to collaborate on upcoming projects.”

Q: What are/were the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your role? Can you describe specific examples?

Ciantra: “The pace is something to get used to. We move fast, so sometimes it can be challenging to make sure I am balancing the rest of my life. However, it is extremely rewarding to see something come to life and have friends and family see my work out in the wild. I love getting feedback, specifically from the Gen Z audience, because then I know I did my job and got it in front of the right audience.”

Blum: “One of the most challenging aspects of my corporate PR role is balancing the need for immediate results with the importance of long-term strategy. In a corporate environment, there’s often pressure to deliver measurable outcomes quickly, but I’ve learned that the most impactful results come from a strategic, long-term approach.”

Q: What advice would you give to someone pursuing a career in PR?

Ciantra: “Make sure you love it! It’s a really fun path, but it comes with a lot of hard work and long hours, so you have to love it to move with it.”

Blum: “My advice would be to embrace curiosity and always be willing to learn. PR is an ever-evolving field, and staying ahead requires being adaptable, resourceful, and up to date with trends and audience behavior.”

Agency Specific – Blum:

Halle Blum, senior analyst at Restaurant Brands International

Q: How did you manage relationships with multiple clients at once?

“In an agency setting, managing multiple clients required exceptional organization and time management skills. I focused on clear communication, setting priorities, and ensuring each client felt valued. However, part of why I’ve loved working on the corporate side is because it allows me to focus my energy on one brand, build stronger relationships, and deliver more thoughtful, impactful strategies.”

Q: Agency life can be demanding. How did you manage work-life balance?

“Agency life taught me the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing tasks to manage my workload efficiently. I learned how to adapt quickly and stay calm under pressure, which has been invaluable in my career. That said, the fast-paced nature of agency work sometimes left little room to fully invest in personal growth or explore creative problem-solving at a deeper level. On the corporate side, I’ve found a better balance.”

Corporate Specific – Ciantra:

Emily Ciantra, director of communications at Restaurants Brands International

Q: Corporate PR often involves long-term strategies. How do you plan and measure these? Do you have a specific example of a successful strategy that you executed?

“We build them at very different levels. There is our Popeyes-wide strategy that touches the entire organization. From there, we take those key elements and apply them to the department to ensure the main Popeyes strategy is being accomplished. For example, how the Popeyes strategy impacts the marketing department or how it affects our storytelling, and then we build those and ensure our leadership is aligned with the approach.”

Q: How do you ensure the brand’s voice and messaging stay consistent across all platforms?

“Well, I think each platform is different and requires a different approach. But we have a brand wheel/brand do’s and don’ts that act as guidelines to ensure what we are activating or saying is all in line. For example: We poke, we don’t punch. We’re witty, not slapstick.”