ARCH vs The Digital Dept

Why brands weigh up these two influencer partners

When marketers look at ARCH and The Digital Dept, they are usually trying to choose a long term ally for influencer marketing, not just a one off campaign helper.

You want to know who will really understand your brand, handle creators smoothly, and turn content into real sales or brand lift.

The primary lens here is influencer marketing agency services and how each team shows up for day to day work, not just the big pitch.

What each agency is known for

Both shops focus on building campaigns with social creators, but they tend to show up differently in the market and attract slightly different clients.

ARCH is often associated with creative, brand first storytelling, where influencers feel like an extension of your in house team.

The Digital Dept, on the other hand, is usually talked about as a nimble, digital native partner with a practical focus on performance and social reach.

Each has its own flavor of influencer marketing agency services, from strategy and talent sourcing to content production and measurement.

ARCH overview

ARCH presents itself as a creative influencer studio that blends brand building with social native content.

They usually lean into campaigns that feel polished but still authentic, with a lot of attention given to narrative and visual consistency.

Services ARCH commonly offers

Services typically cover the full campaign cycle, from planning through reporting and learning.

Influencer strategy built around brand story and positioning
Creator discovery and vetting across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and more
Creative concepts, content briefs and campaign themes
Contracting, usage rights and compliance checks
Campaign management, posting calendars and approvals
Reporting, performance recaps and learnings for future work

The emphasis tends to be on quality of content and alignment with your wider brand world, not just raw reach.

How ARCH usually runs campaigns

ARCH often starts by digging into your brand history, customers and tone of voice before suggesting any creators.

They may propose a central idea or “platform” for the campaign, then find talent whose style fits that idea rather than chasing the biggest follower counts.

Campaigns are usually structured in phases: discovery, creative alignment, production, launch and optimization.

ARCH and creator relationships

ARCH tends to treat creators as collaborators, not just placements.

Expect more back and forth with influencers, creative workshops or mood boards, and room for creators to adapt scripts to their own voice.

This approach can build deeper relationships and better content, though it can take longer than purely transactional outreach.

Typical client fit for ARCH

ARCH often resonates with brands that care deeply about how they look and sound on social, not only the numbers.

Premium or emerging lifestyle labels looking to build brand equity
Beauty, fashion and wellness brands wanting cohesive creator content
Founders who want storytelling that feels elevated, not spammy
Marketing teams willing to invest time in creative development

If you want content that could live in a brand campaign as well as on an influencer’s feed, this style may appeal.

The Digital Dept overview

The Digital Dept usually positions itself as a digital forward influencer and social shop, comfortable moving fast with trends.

They often lean into pragmatic campaign builds that focus on reach, engagement and conversions in a measurable way.

Services The Digital Dept commonly offers

Like most influencer agencies, their work typically spans strategy through execution and reporting.

Influencer strategy tied to channel growth and business goals
Talent sourcing with emphasis on audience relevance and performance history
Briefing, content review and posting coordination
Paid amplification and whitelisting for top performing posts
Performance tracking, UTM setup and sales attribution where possible
Social asset repurposing for ads and brand channels

Their pitch tends to center on getting solid results across multiple platforms, not just nice looking content.

How The Digital Dept manages campaigns

The Digital Dept is often described as practical and results led.

They may start by clarifying the key metric that matters most to you, such as new customers, app installs or top of funnel awareness.

Influencer selection and content plans then flow from that target, with more emphasis on data than aesthetics.

Creator relationships at The Digital Dept

The Digital Dept will still care about creativity, but usually with tighter briefs and clearer performance expectations.

Communication is often direct and structured, which can suit creators used to frequent brand work and deadlines.

This can produce consistent output at scale, though sometimes with less experimental content than a purely creative driven approach.

Typical client fit for The Digital Dept

The Digital Dept often appeals to marketers with clear growth targets and shorter testing cycles.

DTC brands tracking CAC, ROAS and ongoing influencer revenue
Apps and subscription services seeking measurable user actions
Mid sized companies needing efficient campaigns across regions
Teams that value dashboards, updates and clear performance stories

If you want to test, learn and scale quickly, this flavor of influencer marketing agency services can be attractive.

How the two teams really differ

On paper, both are influencer marketing agencies working with creators, content and social channels.

In reality, the differences often show up in emphasis, process and the small details of how they manage work with you.

Creative depth versus performance leaning

ARCH typically leans further into storytelling, brand aesthetics and thoughtful casting.

The Digital Dept more often puts the spotlight on results, channel growth and experimentation.

Neither approach is “better” on its own; the fit depends on whether you are solving a brand problem or a numbers problem first.

Scale and speed

The Digital Dept is often suited to faster, iterative sprints where you test many creators, hooks and formats and double down on winners.

ARCH may prioritize fewer, more intentional collaborations that aim to deepen audience connection rather than flood the feed.

Your timeline and internal pressure for quick results will shape which feel better to work with.

Client experience

With ARCH, you might feel like you have a creative partner, almost an extension of your brand or design team.

With The Digital Dept, you’re more likely to feel like you have a performance focused squad that is comfortable reporting on numbers and insights.

Think about whether your internal team already covers one side and needs help on the other.

Pricing approach and how work is scoped

Neither shop operates like a fixed price software tool. Fees are influenced by time, talent and complexity of execution.

How ARCH typically structures costs

ARCH usually leans into custom proposals, shaped around campaign scope and creative depth.

Upfront strategy and creative development time
Number and tier of influencers, from micro to celebrity
Content volume, formats and production needs
Usage rights and potential paid media extensions
Ongoing reporting and optimization support

Fees may be structured as project based or retainer style for brands wanting continuous creator work.

How The Digital Dept often prices work

The Digital Dept usually emphasizes campaign efficiency and performance, but still works on custom quotes.

Scale of outreach and number of creators per wave
Mix of content types, from short form videos to long form reviews
Influencer fees based on reach and track record
Management hours for coordination and performance checks
Optional paid support for whitelisting or boosting content

A brand might start with a smaller test budget, then expand into a recurring engagement if the numbers look strong.

Key strengths and limits to keep in mind

Every agency choice involves trade offs. Understanding those early helps you set expectations and choose partners with eyes open.

Where ARCH tends to shine

Deep brand alignment and thoughtful casting of voices that feel on brand
Content that can live across multiple channels, not just a single post
Closer creative collaboration with both your team and creators
Useful if you want to refresh your overall brand presence through influencers

A common concern is whether this creative depth will move numbers fast enough for short term goals.

Where ARCH can feel limiting

Campaigns may take longer to build and approve
Budgets often need to support more intensive creative work
May not be ideal if you only want quick, tactical seeding efforts

Where The Digital Dept often excels

Fast moving testing across many creators and content angles
Clear metrics and reporting for internal stakeholders
Good fit for brands already running paid social and tracking revenue
Useful when you want to quickly understand what messages actually convert

Many marketers quietly worry that a focus on performance could make content feel less unique or premium.

Where The Digital Dept may fall short for some

Less emphasis on brand world building and long form storytelling
Content may feel more templated if pushed too hard for scale
Not always the right match for heritage brands wanting very controlled aesthetics

Who each agency is best for

Thinking about fit in terms of goals, internal resources and stage of growth can help you narrow down options.

ARCH is often best for brands that

Want influencer content to feel like high quality brand work, not just ads
Have or want a strong visual identity and tone of voice
Are comfortable with creative exploration and collaboration cycles
Measure success using both brand lift and sales metrics
Operate in categories where aesthetics and story really matter, like beauty or fashion

The Digital Dept is often best for brands that

Need clearer performance stories to justify budgets internally
Have aggressive growth targets and want to iterate quickly
Are used to working with performance agencies for paid social or search
Want repeatable frameworks for influencer campaigns by quarter
Operate in DTC, apps, subscriptions or fast moving ecommerce

When a platform like Flinque can work better

Sometimes neither a creative heavy partner nor a performance driven agency is exactly right, especially for teams wanting more control.

In those cases, a software platform can be a middle ground between doing everything manually and hiring a full service agency.

How a platform based approach differs

Tools such as Flinque let you discover creators, manage outreach, coordinate content and track results inside one system.

You still pay influencers, but you avoid long retainers and use your own team to steer strategy and creative.

This can be useful if you already have strong brand direction or performance skills in house.

When a platform may beat an agency

You have a lean but capable marketing team ready to manage campaigns directly
You want to run frequent smaller tests without renegotiating scopes
You prefer building internal knowledge instead of outsourcing everything
Your budget is limited, but your team has time to manage creators

If you choose this route, you still might use an agency for big seasonal pushes or complex multi country work.

FAQs

How do I choose between these two agencies?

Start with your main problem. If you need deeper brand storytelling, lean toward a creative focused team. If you need quick, measurable growth with clear reporting, a performance leaning partner may fit better. Then compare chemistry, processes and references.

Can I work with both agencies at the same time?

It is possible, but you should define clear roles so they do not overlap or compete. For example, one can own brand building influencer programs while the other runs performance heavy campaigns. Strong internal coordination is essential.

What should I prepare before speaking to either agency?

Gather your brand guidelines, target audience details, past campaign results, priority markets, budget range and success metrics. Have a clear sense of your must haves versus nice to haves. This makes it easier for any agency to propose realistic options.

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

Timelines vary, but you can usually expect initial signals within the first month after content goes live. Full impact, including repeat purchases and brand lift, often takes several months and multiple waves of creators, especially for new brands.

Do I still need in house staff if I hire an influencer agency?

Yes. You will still need someone internal to approve strategy and content, share product knowledge, align on legal topics and handle cross channel planning. Agencies execute more smoothly when at least one internal marketer owns the relationship.

Conclusion and how to decide

Choosing between these two influencer partners is really about choosing how you want to work and what matters most right now.

If your priority is a strong, distinctive brand story expressed through creators, a creatively driven agency will likely feel right.

If your pressure is on customer growth, clear metrics and testing new angles quickly, a performance leaning team may be better.

Also consider whether a platform like Flinque could complement or replace some agency roles if you want more control in house.

Whichever route you pick, push for clarity on process, communication, reporting and expectations so you can build a relationship that lasts beyond a single campaign.

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.