August United vs Disrupt: Which to Pick in 2026
Two full-service agencies on two continents. August United runs micro and mid-tier influencer programs from the US, now part of McKinney. Disrupt builds culture-led campaigns out of London. Both go broad. Here is which fits, plus a software route.
Which one is right for you
Three buyers, three picks. Find the column that sounds like your team.
Choose August United if
- You want US micro and mid-tier programs
- You want owned creator communities built
- You want a holding-company backed team
Choose Disrupt if
- You want culture-led UK and global campaigns
- You want creator content plus paid social
- You want data-first measurement
Choose Flinque if
- You want to find and vet creators yourself with no sales call
- You want flat published pricing you can start free
- You want to run discovery in-house, not hire an agency
August United vs Disrupt vs Flinque
Fourteen factors across all three, from agency type to real minimums. Flinque is the flat-price software option on the right.
| Factor | August United | Disrupt | Best valueFlinque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | US brands wanting micro and mid-tier reach | Brands wanting culture-led UK campaigns | Teams running discovery in-house |
| Agency type | Full-service agency, part of McKinney | Culture-led social and influencer agency | Self-serve software, not an agency |
| Engagement model | Managed campaigns | Managed campaigns | Flat monthly subscription |
| Typical minimum | Undisclosed, mid-market to enterprise | Undisclosed, mid-market | Free, then $49/mo |
| Published pricing | No | No | $0 to $150/mo, public |
| Creator network | Micro and mid-tier creators, owned communities | Creators chosen on cultural relevance | 10M+ verified, 200 data points each |
| Platforms covered | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube | Every social and entertainment platform | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X |
| Services | Strategy, partnerships, content, communities | Creator content plus paid media | Discovery, vetting and audience data |
| Campaign management | fully managed | fully managed | You run it, software assists |
| Content and usage rights | Per campaign | Per campaign | You negotiate directly with creators |
| Paid amplification | Part of campaigns | Core, paid social | Run your own whitelisting |
| Measurement and reporting | Reporting and analytics | Data-first, performance reporting | Audience and fake-follower data built in |
| Team and locations | Phoenix, influencer focus since 2015 | London, founded 2016 | Software with support included |
| Time to launch | After scoping | After scoping | Shortlist in minutes on the free plan |
How we compared: Engagement models and minimums come from each agency's own site plus public reporting and client reviews, cross-checked and dated June 2026. Where an agency hides its pricing we say undisclosed rather than guess a number. The verdicts are ours, not the agencies'.
What each agency actually does
What is August United
August United is the US relationship builder. Rooted in a business going back two decades, it refocused on influencer marketing in 2015 and grew into a top-ten influencer agency out of Phoenix, with a core skill in micro and mid-tier creators and building owned creator communities around brands. In January 2023 McKinney, the Cheil Worldwide agency, acquired it, folding August United and the performance arm Tailwind into a single offering. The brand now runs as part of McKinney.
So a brand hiring August United today gets a micro and mid-tier specialist with a larger creative and media agency behind it, full-service from strategy through partnership management, content and reporting. Pricing is not published. Against Disrupt, August United is the US, community-focused choice now inside a holding company, where Disrupt is the London culture-led shop. The next section covers Disrupt. A brand that would rather run its own creator search has a third route.
What August United does well
- Strong in micro and mid-tier creators
- Builds owned creator communities
- Backed by McKinney and Cheil Worldwide
- Full-service from strategy to reporting
Where it falls short
- Brand now absorbed into McKinney
- No public pricing
- US-centric
- Managed only, no self-serve search
What is Disrupt
Disrupt starts from culture and works back to the creator. The London agency, established in 2016 and part of the Tomorrow Group alongside the digital-growth agency Found, builds social and influencer campaigns designed to earn attention by telling culturally relevant stories. It runs creator content and paid social together rather than as separate tracks, grounding every campaign in performance data with transparent reporting. Brands like Nokia and Primark have run work through it. It leans hard into TikTok culture.
The pitch is performance through relevance: pick the right talent, build the right brief, prove the outcomes. Pricing is not published and the model is managed campaigns across every social and entertainment platform. So where August United is a US community specialist inside a holding company, Disrupt is the London culture-led operator with a growth-agency sibling. For brands that want to run discovery themselves rather than hire either, there is a third path.
What Disrupt does well
- Culture-led, story-first campaigns
- Creator content plus paid social together
- Data-first with transparent reporting
- Part of the Tomorrow Group
Where it falls short
- No public pricing
- UK-centric base
- Managed only, no self-serve search
- Less focus on owned communities
Head to head
August United and Disrupt are both full-service, just on different continents with different instincts. August United runs US micro and mid-tier programs and builds owned creator communities, now inside McKinney. Disrupt builds culture-led campaigns from London, blending creator content with paid social and grounding it in data. One leans on community and a holding company. The other leans on cultural relevance. Your market and approach pick the side.
There is a route around both. Flinque is software: 10M verified creators across four platforms, each with a fake-follower score, at one published price. You run the search in-house, no scoping call and no retainer.
Which should you actually pick
Forget the pitch decks for a second. Match the partner to the situation you are in.
You want US micro and mid-tier programs
You want micro and mid-tier creators and owned communities from a US team with a holding company behind it. August United works that way.
→ Pick August UnitedYou want culture-led UK campaigns
You want culturally relevant social campaigns blending creator content and paid, run from London. Disrupt fits.
→ Pick DisruptYou want to run discovery yourself
No retainer, no scoping call. You want to search 10M verified creators with a fake-follower check on each. Start free on Flinque and pay $49 only if you keep using it.
→ Pick FlinqueYou are testing influencer marketing
Both are quote-led managed agencies. Flinque free plan lets you find and vet verified creators with no card, then scales at a flat $49 a month.
→ Start with FlinqueFlinque: verified discovery at a flat price
If both feel like too much retainer and too little control, Flinque does one job and does it well. Find and vet real creators yourself, fast, then run the campaign in-house. No pitch deck, no monthly retainer, no discovery call to learn the price.
- 10M+ verified creators
- 4 platforms: IG, YouTube, TikTok, X
- 200 data points per creator
- 12 search filters
- Fake-follower check on every profile
- Free, $49, $150, published
See Flinque in action
Short walkthroughs on pricing, discovery and vetting from the Flinque team.
What Are Influencer Networks? Why Most Brands Pick the Wrong Creators
Influencer Discovery Platforms That We Made Easy and Affordable
Common questions about August United and Disrupt
What is the difference between August United and Disrupt?
Is August United still independent?
What is Disrupt known for?
Which is better for US campaigns?
How much do they cost?
What does August United specialise in?
Can I find creators myself with either?
Is there a software alternative to both agencies?
Written & reviewed by Flinque Research Team
Influencer Marketing Research · View team →
Our research team specialises in influencer marketing strategy, creator analytics and platform comparisons. Details on this page were verified against agency sites, public reporting and client review platforms in June 2026.
Disclaimer: Information here is collected from publicly available sources, third-party review sites and vendor pages. Pricing and features change, so confirm current details with each provider before buying. This content is for informational purposes only.
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