ARCH vs INF Influencer Agency

Why brands weigh up influencer agency options

When you compare influencer agencies, you’re usually trying to answer a few simple questions. Who will understand your brand, manage creators well, and actually move the needle on sales or signups?

You may also be wondering how much control you keep, how transparent the process is, and what you’re really paying for.

To make this clearer, we’ll look at two influencer-focused agencies side by side, then zoom out to what truly matters for your decision.

What influencer agencies are known for

The primary keyword we’ll focus on here is influencer marketing agency. That’s what both ARCH and INF essentially are: service partners that plan and run creator campaigns for brands.

Instead of you manually emailing influencers, negotiating fees, and tracking posts, an agency steps in to handle the heavy lifting.

Most influencer agencies tend to do four big things for brands.

• Turn your business goals into a clear creator strategy.
• Find and shortlist relevant influencers across social platforms.
• Manage contracts, briefs, content reviews, and posting timelines.
• Report on performance and suggest next steps.

From there, the differences come down to scale, specialisation, how they treat creators, and how closely they work with your team day to day.

How ARCH tends to work

ARCH can be thought of as a more hands-on, full service influencer partner. Brands often look at them when they want deeper creative input, not just a roster of influencers.

Their focus is usually on building campaigns that feel like part of your overall brand story, not one-off sponsored posts.

Services and campaign style

ARCH is likely to position itself as an end-to-end partner. That often means they get involved early, even before a brief is fully shaped.

Common services you might find at this type of agency include:

• Influencer strategy tied to brand or product launches.
• Shortlisting, vetting, and negotiating with creators.
• Creative concepting and content direction.
• Always-on ambassador or advocacy programs.
• Paid social amplification of influencer content.
• Campaign reporting with recommendations for future activity.

The style tends to be more collaborative. You’ll likely see moodboards, content ideas, and messaging frameworks before creators start shooting content.

Creator relationships and talent pool

ARCH-style agencies usually balance two approaches: having go-to creators they trust and constantly scouting fresh talent for niche audiences.

You may see them work across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and sometimes podcasts, depending on your target market.

The upside is speed and reliability. The downside is that you may see some of the same faces across multiple brand campaigns.

Typical clients that choose ARCH

Brands that tend to pick a partner like ARCH often share a few traits.

• They want big, memorable creator moments around key launches.
• They value strong creative direction and brand consistency.
• They are open to larger campaign budgets for higher impact.
• They prefer to stay out of daily creator logistics.

If your internal team is lean and you want a group that can fully own the influencer channel, this model can be very appealing.

How INF tends to work

INF-style agencies often present themselves as flexible and performance-aware, with a strong focus on matching creators to specific business outcomes.

They may be more experimental with content formats, testing many creators and doubling down on what works.

Services and campaign style

While INF also offers end-to-end support, the emphasis may lean slightly more toward measurable outcomes and testing.

Brands often see services such as:

• Influencer discovery and vetting at different follower tiers.
• Campaign setup focused on trackable goals, like signups or sales.
• A/B style testing of different creators or content angles.
• Repurposing creator content into ads or email assets.
• Regular performance reviews and optimization.

The campaign style can feel more iterative. Rather than one huge activation, you may see waves of creators, with adjustments as data comes in.

Creator relationships and talent pool

INF-style partners usually work with a mix of micro, mid-tier, and sometimes celebrity talent, depending on the brand.

The focus is often on matching audience quality and engagement, not just follower counts.

They may be quicker to rotate creators in and out based on performance, which can be effective but may feel less like long-term storytelling.

Typical clients that choose INF

Brands that are drawn to an INF-style agency usually care most about trackable returns on spend.

• They want clear proof of impact, like revenue or leads.
• They’re comfortable running several smaller tests instead of one big push.
• They value dashboards, reports, and performance calls.
• They may already run paid media and want influencer content to support it.

If you’re under pressure to justify every budget line with numbers, this approach can feel safer.

Key differences in style and focus

So how do agencies like ARCH and INF typically differ once you’re actually working with them?

You can think about it across a few simple dimensions: storytelling versus testing, scale versus focus, and the feel of the client experience.

Storytelling versus testing

ARCH-style partners usually prioritise big moments, cohesive creative, and long-term brand positioning.

INF-style partners lean into experimentation, creator variety, and optimizing for short-term results.

Neither is “better” – it depends whether you need a powerful brand story, a performance engine, or ideally a mix of both.

Scale and creator volume

INF-oriented agencies often run higher-volume campaigns with many mid-size creators, especially for performance use cases.

ARCH-oriented agencies may work with fewer but more deeply integrated creators, especially for storytelling and hero launches.

If you want hundreds of creators posting quickly, you’ll likely be steered toward a more performance-centric setup.

Client experience and involvement

With ARCH-style teams, you’ll often spend more time upfront in workshops and creative sessions.

With INF-style teams, you may spend more time reviewing reports, learning from tests, and adjusting budgets.

Your preferred working style matters. Some teams love creative collaboration; others want clean dashboards and clear numbers.

Pricing and ways of working

Influencer agencies almost never publish simple price lists, because costs vary wildly by creator tier, market, and content type.

That said, most use a mix of a few common models that you’ll see across both ARCH-like and INF-like partners.

How brands are usually charged

• Campaign-based fees: A one-off budget for a specific launch or push.
• Monthly retainers: Ongoing support to manage influencer work all year.
• Influencer fees: Direct creator payments, often the largest part of the budget.
• Management costs: Agency time for strategy, management, and reporting.

Some agencies may also include content usage rights, paid media management, or production costs as extra line items.

What influences the final cost

When you request a quote from any influencer marketing agency, a few factors will shape the final figure.

• Number and size of influencers involved.
• Markets and languages you need to cover.
• Type and volume of content, like Reels, YouTube, or long-form videos.
• Whether you need strategy only, or full management.
• How much paid promotion you want behind the content.

Keep in mind that campaign budgets can expand quickly when you add larger creators or multi-market reach.

Engagement style with each agency model

ARCH-type partners might lean more on retainers or larger project fees, especially if they become deeply involved across planning, creative, and execution.

INF-type partners might be more open to project-based work with clear performance targets, although many still prefer a retainer for ongoing optimization.

The most important thing is clarity: ask exactly what is included, how they bill for extra work, and how they treat underperforming campaigns.

Strengths and limitations of each agency

No agency is perfect. Each style comes with trade-offs that you should think about before signing a contract.

Where ARCH-style agencies shine

• Strong brand storytelling and creative direction.
• Closer, more curated relationships with selected creators.
• Consistent brand feel across multiple channels.
• Good fit for big launches or long-term ambassador programs.

The main limitation is that this can be slower and more resource-intensive, which may not suit brands chasing aggressive short-term performance.

Where INF-style agencies shine

• Comfort with testing many creators and formats.
• Stronger focus on measurable outcomes and KPIs.
• Faster iteration when something isn’t working.
• Good fit for eCommerce, apps, and growth-focused brands.

The trade-off is that heavy testing can sometimes feel less “on-brand” or cohesive if not closely guided.

Common concern brands have

A frequent worry is paying agency fees without seeing clear lift in sales or brand metrics. This is why alignment on goals, reporting, and definition of success is critical during the pitch stage.

Ask both creative-first and performance-first partners how they will prove success and what actions they take when results lag expectations.

Who each agency is best for

To make this more concrete, here’s how you might think about fit for each style of influencer marketing agency.

Best fit for an ARCH-style partner

• Consumer brands planning big seasonal or product launches.
• Companies in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, or premium categories.
• Brands that want distinctive, highly produced content.
• Teams with limited in-house creative or influencer expertise.

You may also lean this way if you’re trying to reposition your brand and need a partner that can help tell a fresh story through creators.

Best fit for an INF-style partner

• Direct-to-consumer brands focused on revenue or signups.
• Apps, SaaS, or subscription products wanting trackable results.
• Marketers already used to performance channels like Meta and Google.
• Teams comfortable with experimentation and fast optimization.

This style makes sense if your leadership expects frequent reporting and clear numbers attached to every dollar spent.

When a platform like Flinque can be a better fit

Full service agencies are not the only way to run influencer campaigns. Some brands prefer a platform-based route.

Flinque is an example of a tool that lets you discover creators, manage outreach, and track campaigns without committing to ongoing agency retainers.

Why some brands choose a platform

• You want more control and direct relationships with creators.
• Your budgets are smaller, but you still care about influence.
• You already have a marketer who can handle day-to-day work.
• You prefer to build in-house knowledge instead of outsourcing everything.

This path requires more internal time, but gives you flexibility to experiment at your own pace and carry learnings forward independently.

When an agency still makes more sense

Platforms are powerful, but they don’t replace deep strategy or creative thinking on their own.

You may still be better off with an agency if your team is stretched thin, you’re working across many markets, or your leadership expects a single partner to own the entire influencer function.

FAQs

How do I choose between a creative-first and performance-first influencer agency?

Start by deciding whether brand storytelling or immediate sales matter more in the next 6–12 months. Then ask each partner to show case work that matches your main goal and how they measured success.

Can I work with both a storytelling agency and a performance agency?

Yes, some brands split responsibilities. One partner might own brand campaigns, while another focuses on conversion-driven creators. Just be clear about roles to avoid overlap and mixed messaging.

How long does it take to see results from influencer marketing?

Awareness-focused campaigns can show impact in weeks, while sales-focused initiatives may need several cycles of testing and optimization. Plan for at least one to three months before judging long-term potential.

Should I insist on long-term creator partnerships?

Long-term partnerships can build trust and recognition, but testing first is wise. Many brands start with smaller projects, then extend relationships with creators who perform well and align with their values.

What should I ask in an influencer agency pitch?

Ask how they pick creators, handle underperforming campaigns, measure success, and communicate with your team. Request examples from your industry and clarity around fees, timelines, and content ownership.

Helping you choose the right influencer partner

Choosing between agencies like ARCH and INF really comes down to three questions: what you’re trying to achieve, how you like to work, and how much control you want.

If you’re hunting for powerful brand stories and standout creative, a more ARCH-style partner can be ideal.

If you’re under pressure for clear, performance-driven outcomes, an INF-style partner may feel more aligned with your goals.

And if you want control and flexibility without a full service partner, a platform such as Flinque can give you the tools to run campaigns in-house.

Whichever route you take, make sure the agency or platform understands your audience, can explain their process clearly, and commits to learning from every campaign, not just launching it.

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.