AdParlor vs IMA

Why marketers weigh up these two agencies

Brands searching for help with paid social and influencer work often end up choosing between different types of partners. Some lean heavily into media buying, others focus more on creators and storytelling.

When you look at AdParlor and IMA, you are really comparing two different styles of support for your social campaigns.

Both work with big names and run multi-channel campaigns, but they tend to attract slightly different clients. You are likely trying to understand who will handle what, how much help you get, and what kind of results you can expect.

Table of Contents

• What each agency is known for
• Inside AdParlor’s services and style
• Inside IMA’s services and style
• How their approaches really differ
• Pricing approach and how you work together
• Strengths and limitations of each agency
• Who each agency is best suited for
• When a platform alternative may be smarter
• FAQs
• Conclusion: choosing the right partner
• Disclaimer

What each agency is known for

The primary keyword for this discussion is influencer agency selection. At a high level, these two companies sit in different corners of the social marketing world.

AdParlor is widely recognized for paid social advertising and performance-driven campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and others. Influencer work usually sits alongside media buying, creative testing, and optimization.

IMA, often called Influencer Marketing Agency, is known for creator-led brand storytelling. Its focus is on finding the right influencers, shaping campaigns with them, and running collaborations across social channels and regions.

Both support strategy and execution, but one is more media and performance oriented, while the other is more creator and brand storytelling centered.

Inside AdParlor’s services and style

AdParlor fits into the category of performance-focused social partner that can also manage creators. It tends to appeal to brands that care deeply about measurable results and large-scale campaigns.

Core services you can expect

AdParlor’s offering typically includes a mix of paid social management and creative services with influencer elements layered on top.

• Channel strategy across major social ad platforms
• Media buying and optimization for performance
• Ad creative production and testing
• Influencer collaborations tied to paid campaigns
• Reporting and insights on social performance

For many brands, this means one team handles both creator content and the ads that amplify it.

How AdParlor tends to run campaigns

Campaigns usually start with clear performance goals. Think app installs, signups, sales, or lead generation. From there, audiences, platforms, and creative angles are mapped out.

Influencer content is often treated as another asset to test and scale. A creator might produce short videos or images that are then used as paid ads, with budgets shifted toward top performers.

This approach suits brands that see creators as part of a broader growth engine rather than purely for brand awareness.

Creator relationships and talent access

AdParlor works with influencers, but it is not usually positioned as a talent-first shop. Creators are one piece of a larger paid social machine.

That can be useful if your priority is performance data, attribution, and testing different content angles. It may feel less suited if you want long-term ambassador relationships or very tight creator communities.

Typical brands that choose AdParlor

AdParlor often fits organizations that already invest heavily in performance marketing and want to layer influencer content into that mix.

• Direct-to-consumer and ecommerce brands focused on growth
• Mobile apps and tech companies chasing installs or signups
• Retailers wanting paid social returns across multiple regions
• Brands with in-house creative needing extra testing and scaling

Teams that love dashboards, performance reviews, and structured testing often feel comfortable here.

Inside IMA’s services and style

IMA sits more squarely in the classic influencer marketing camp. It is commonly associated with concept-driven campaigns that highlight creators as the main storytellers.

Core services you can expect

IMA tends to provide end-to-end support focused on creators and social storytelling rather than heavy media buying.

• Influencer strategy across markets and channels
• Creator discovery and vetting
• Campaign creative concepts and narratives
• Influencer outreach, negotiation, and management
• Content approvals, timelines, and reporting

Paid amplification may still be part of the work, but it usually supports the creator activity instead of leading it.

How IMA usually runs campaigns

Projects typically start with a story or theme that fits your brand. Creators are then matched to that story based on audience, tone, and location.

Once talent is locked in, content calendars, messaging, and deliverables are planned. The focus is on authentic content that feels native to each creator’s channel.

Results are usually tracked on engagement, reach, and sometimes downstream impact like site visits or sales, depending on tracking setups.

Creator relationships and network style

IMA positions itself as close to creators, with strong relationships across categories like fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and more. This can matter if your brand wants deep alignment, not just one-off posts.

Longer term, they can help build ambassador programs or recurring collaborations, especially for consumer-facing brands with strong aesthetics.

Typical brands that choose IMA

IMA tends to attract brands that care about image, lifestyle positioning, and international reach, not just short-term performance.

• Fashion and beauty labels building brand desire
• Premium lifestyle and travel brands
• Consumer products wanting social proof and awareness
• Companies entering new markets who need local voices

If you want your product woven into creator stories and visuals, this type of partner usually feels natural.

How their approaches really differ

While both work in social and influencer marketing, their centers of gravity are different. Understanding that difference will help you pick the right fit for your team.

Focus: performance engine vs creator-first storytelling

AdParlor is more like a performance engine that can plug in creators as fuel. Media buying, testing, and optimization sit at the heart of most campaigns.

IMA, by contrast, puts creators in the spotlight. The story flows through the influencers, with paid media and other tactics supporting that core.

Neither approach is “better” overall. The question is which better matches your business goals this year.

Process and day-to-day experience

Working with AdParlor often means regular performance reviews, budget shifts, and creative tests. You are likely to see spreadsheets, dashboards, and experiments.

With IMA, you are more likely to spend time on casting, brand fit, creative direction, and content reviews. The feel is closer to running ongoing photo shoots and social series.

Both require feedback and approvals, but the conversations are different. One leans into numbers; the other leans into narratives.

Scale, regions, and brand categories

AdParlor is typically comfortable handling large paid budgets and multi-market ad campaigns, often for tech or ecommerce. Influencer work sits alongside those channels.

IMA is also capable of multi-country work, especially in Europe and global lifestyle categories. Its sweet spot lies in consumer-facing, visually driven brands seeking creator influence.

Your industry, audience, and internal expectations should shape which style feels more natural.

Pricing approach and how you work together

Neither of these companies offers simple posted menus of prices. Both tend to structure costs around your scope, timeline, and budget.

How full service influencer work is usually priced

For influencer-focused work like IMA’s, costs are built from several pieces. You can expect line items such as influencer fees, campaign design, management time, and sometimes paid boosting.

Larger campaigns may run on retainers, especially if you want always-on ambassador programs or multiple drops per year.

How performance-focused social agencies charge

In a performance-oriented setup like AdParlor’s, the budget typically includes ad spend, media management fees, creative production, and, where relevant, influencer content.

Management fees may be a percentage of media, a flat fee, or a hybrid, depending on your arrangements and volume.

Influencer work is often scoped as a project or as additional service lines on top of your ongoing paid media agreement.

What pushes costs up or down

Several common factors shape overall pricing with either partner.

• Number and size of influencers involved
• Markets and languages covered
• Content formats and production complexity
• Campaign length and frequency
• Level of reporting and strategy support you need

The more markets, creators, and formats you add, the higher the coordination and management workload becomes.

Strengths and limitations of each agency

Every partner has clear strengths and natural constraints. Understanding both sides will help you set the right expectations internally.

Where AdParlor tends to shine

• Strong alignment with performance targets like sales or installs
• Ability to test and scale creator content through paid social quickly
• Integration of influencers into wider media plans
• Data-driven reporting for marketing teams that live in numbers

One common concern is whether this focus on performance might make content feel more like ads than organic creator stories.

Where AdParlor may feel less ideal

• Brands wanting purely organic influencer programs without paid media
• Companies seeking very niche creator communities or subcultures
• Teams that care more about art direction than performance dashboards

It can still work in those cases, but the fit may be less natural than with a creator-first shop.

Where IMA tends to shine

• Story-led campaigns where creators are the main focus
• Building visual worlds around fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands
• Curating talent that matches specific aesthetics or values
• Running campaigns across regions with local influencers

Marketers sometimes worry that beautiful content will not translate into hard performance numbers fast enough.

Where IMA may feel less ideal

• Hyper performance-driven teams needing tight attribution
• Brands with modest budgets looking for ongoing always-on testing
• Companies that want influencer work tightly woven into paid media at all times

IMA can still collaborate on measurable campaigns, but the mindset stays closer to brand building than pure performance.

Who each agency is best suited for

Thinking clearly about your goals, internal structure, and budget will make the choice easier. Use the points below as a starting filter.

When AdParlor is usually a better match

• You already spend significantly on social ads and want to add creators.
• Your leadership expects hard metrics like cost per acquisition or return on ad spend.
• You prefer one team managing both media and creator content.
• You are ready to test many creative variations and scale winners.

When IMA is usually a better match

• You want creators to drive the story, not just supply ad assets.
• Your priority is brand perception, lifestyle positioning, or community.
• You care deeply about visual identity and long-term creator relationships.
• You are open to evaluating success on both awareness and softer brand signals.

Questions to ask yourself before choosing

• Are we trying to fix performance metrics, or build a brand world?
• Do we have internal media buyers already, or do we need that externally?
• How comfortable are we with influencer costs and lead times?
• What level of reporting do we need to keep leadership on board?

Your answers will naturally point toward one style of partner over the other.

When a platform alternative may be smarter

Full service agencies are not the only route. Some brands prefer more control and flexibility over their influencer work, especially as they mature.

Why some brands switch to platforms

Once you understand the basics of influencer campaigns, you may want to manage relationships and briefs directly. This can reduce dependency on external project teams and long email chains.

Technology platforms let you search for creators, handle outreach, manage content approvals, and track performance inside one system.

Where a platform like Flinque fits in

Flinque is an example of a platform-based option that supports brands end to end without being a full service agency. It focuses on influencer discovery, campaign workflows, and performance tracking.

This type of solution suits teams that want to own creator relationships, experiment often, and avoid large ongoing agency retainers.

How to decide between agency and platform

• If you lack time, headcount, or experience, an agency makes sense.
• If you have a hands-on marketing team, a platform adds flexibility.
• Some brands start with agencies, then later bring parts in-house using tools.

You can also mix approaches: agency for big tentpoles, platform for always-on activity.

FAQs

How do I choose between these two agencies?

Start with your main goal. If you need performance-driven social campaigns with creator content built in, a performance-focused partner may fit. If you want story-led creator programs and brand-building, a creator-first agency usually makes more sense.

Can I run both paid ads and influencer work with one partner?

Yes, many agencies handle both. Some lean more heavily into media buying with influencers as a support, while others prioritize creators and add media as needed. Clarify who owns which channels before signing any agreement.

Do these agencies only work with large brands?

They often work with bigger budgets, but that does not mean smaller brands are excluded. The key question is whether your planned spend, scope, and timelines match their minimums and normal way of working.

How long does it take to launch a campaign?

Timelines vary. Pure paid social tests can launch quickly, sometimes in weeks. Influencer activity adds time for casting, contracts, and content creation. Plan for several weeks to a few months from brief to live content.

Should I start with an agency or go straight to a platform?

If you are new to influencer marketing or short on time, an agency gives structure and expertise. If your team is comfortable managing creators and wants flexibility, an influencer platform can be a cost-effective next step.

Conclusion: choosing the right partner

Choosing between these types of agencies is really about choosing how you want to show up on social and how you prefer to work.

If your brand is driven by performance metrics and large paid budgets, a partner that treats creators as part of a broader growth engine may be best. You will get testing, optimization, and clear performance conversations.

If your brand lives on storytelling, aesthetics, and community, then a creator-led partner is likely the better match. You will spend more time on casting, creative direction, and building a recognizable social presence.

Consider starting with your next big launch or key season. Map out what success looks like, how involved your team can be, and how much you are ready to invest. From there, the right style of partner usually becomes clear.

And remember, you are not locked in forever. Many brands evolve from full service partners to hybrid setups with platforms like Flinque as internal skills grow.

Disclaimer

All information on this page is collected from publicly available sources, third party search engines, AI powered tools and general online research. We do not claim ownership of any external data and accuracy may vary. This content is for informational purposes only.