August United vs Stargazer

Why brands look at different influencer agencies

When marketers compare August United vs Stargazer, they are usually trying to work out which partner can actually move the needle on sales and brand awareness, not just vanity metrics.

You might be under pressure to prove return on spend, launch a new product, or scale creator content across several markets.

Both of these influencer marketing agencies promise access to creators, campaign management, and reporting. But they get there in different ways, and those differences matter when you are choosing where to invest.

This breakdown is here to help you understand how each agency tends to work, who they fit best, and how to match them to your goals and budget.

Influencer campaign strategy overview

The primary topic here is influencer campaign strategy across two full service partners. Both agencies help brands plan, launch, and optimize creator programs, but the emphasis on creative storytelling, performance tracking, and platform mix can vary a lot.

Some teams want a big, brand led story with a few hero creators. Others want performance focused work with many micro influencers, ongoing testing, and tight cross channel tracking.

What each agency is known for

Both agencies position themselves as partners that do more than just match brands with creators. They aim to shape the story, manage talent, and handle the back end work that swallows internal time.

What August United is generally known for

August United is commonly associated with bigger brand campaigns, often leaning into storytelling across social video and content. They emphasize strategy, creative development, and long term creator relationships.

The agency tends to speak to mid market and enterprise brands that want a strong creative point of view combined with measurable outcomes.

What Stargazer is generally known for

Stargazer is often recognized for performance driven influencer work, especially for digital first brands that care deeply about acquisition and measurable revenue.

They focus on matching creators with performance goals, using paid amplification and data to squeeze more value from each piece of content.

August United services and style

August United operates as a full service influencer partner, often plugging into broader marketing plans that include brand, social, and media teams.

Core services you can expect

• Influencer discovery and vetting across social platforms
• Campaign strategy and creative concepts
• Contracting, negotiations, and talent management
• Content planning, brief development, and approvals
• On going campaign management and optimization
• Reporting on reach, engagement, and business impact

Their work often sits close to brand marketing, meaning they focus on tone of voice, story arcs, and creative fit with existing campaigns.

Approach to campaigns

August United tends to start with brand goals, then work backwards into platforms, creator roles, and content formats. You will likely see a structured process, from discovery through post campaign reviews.

They lean into narrative driven concepts where creators express a unifying idea, rather than a loose collection of unrelated shoutouts.

How they work with creators

The agency usually emphasizes deeper relationships with select creators, rather than swapping talent every month. This helps build familiarity with the product and more natural content.

They typically manage outreach, creative briefs, feedback loops, and logistics, while you set direction on brand guardrails and objectives.

Typical client fit for August United

August United is usually a fit for mid sized and larger brands that want integrated creative support, not just creator sourcing.

• Consumer brands with strong visual identities
• Companies planning seasonal or launch campaigns
• Marketing teams that value storytelling and brand equity
• Organizations wanting multi platform programs, not just one channel

Stargazer services and style

Stargazer also positions itself as a full service influencer agency but tends to lean harder into measurable growth, often appealing to performance driven marketers.

Core services you can expect

• Influencer sourcing and screening based on performance data
• Campaign planning around acquisition and conversions
• Talent contracts, payments, and compliance management
• A/B testing of content angles and hooks
• Paid media amplification of top performing creator content
• Performance reporting tied to leads, installs, or sales

Their work is usually structured to test creators and creatives, then scale up what works while trimming weaker performers.

Approach to campaigns

Stargazer often starts with performance targets, tracking infrastructure, and key conversion events. Creative decisions then support those metrics.

They might suggest a higher volume of creators at various sizes to find winning combinations of audience, format, and offer.

How they work with creators

The agency generally collaborates with a broad range of creators, including micro and mid tier talent that deliver strong engagement and efficient costs.

Creators are selected not only for brand alignment but also for their proven ability to drive actions, such as app installs or direct purchases.

Typical client fit for Stargazer

Stargazer is often a fit for brands that see influencer marketing as a performance engine first and a brand channel second.

• Direct to consumer brands focused on revenue growth
• Apps and subscription products needing user acquisition
• Ecommerce businesses tracking return on ad spend
• Marketing teams comfortable with constant testing

How the agencies differ in practice

On the surface, both agencies manage creators and campaigns. In practice, their emphasis can lead to very different experiences for your team.

Creative storytelling versus performance testing

August United often leads with brand narrative, aiming for memorable stories that connect emotionally and visually. Measurement is still important, but creative cohesion is a key focus.

Stargazer typically prioritizes measurable performance, where each creative angle is a test. The strongest content is then scaled through more creators or paid amplification.

Depth of relationships versus breadth of creators

August United may work with fewer creators more deeply, nurturing long term relationships that feel like true brand partners.

Stargazer may collaborate with a larger pool of creators, focusing on identifying which partnerships produce the best results for your specific objectives.

Client experience and communication style

August United tends to feel like a creative extension of your brand team, with emphasis on workshops, brand immersion, and creative collaboration.

Stargazer often feels more like a performance partner, where dashboards, tracking plans, and KPI reviews take center stage during check ins.

Pricing approach and how work is scoped

Neither agency typically advertises rigid pricing. Costs are usually custom, based on your goals, scope, and creator needs.

How agencies tend to structure pricing

Most influencer agencies structure fees across a few main areas, and these two are no different.

• Agency fees for strategy, management, and reporting
• Creator fees based on reach, content type, and usage
• Production costs where content needs extra support
• Optional paid media or whitelisting budget

What usually affects total cost

Your final budget depends on several factors you control.

• Number and size of creators you want to activate
• Platforms involved and length of the campaign
• Need for content usage rights, whitelisting, or repurposing
• Markets or regions you plan to cover
• Level of testing and optimization you expect

Engagement models you might see

Both agencies may offer project based engagements for launches or seasonal pushes, as well as ongoing retainers for always on programs.

Retainers typically cover continued strategy, creator management, and optimization, while campaign budgets fund the influencer work itself.

Strengths and limitations

Every agency has trade offs. Understanding them helps you choose a partner that fits how your team likes to work.

Strengths of August United

• Strong focus on brand storytelling and cohesive creative ideas
• Deeper creator relationships that can feel more authentic
• Ability to connect influencer work with broader brand campaigns
• Useful for brands that want a polished, on brand presence

Limitations of August United

• May feel slower if you want rapid, high volume testing
• Brand heavy approach might not fit pure performance mindsets
• Smaller budgets may find it hard to access their full capabilities

A common concern is whether a creative led approach will deliver the hard numbers finance teams want to see.

Strengths of Stargazer

• Clear emphasis on measurable outcomes and performance
• Comfortable managing larger volumes of creators and tests
• Good fit for brands that live and die by acquisition metrics
• Helpful for proving or improving return on marketing spend

Limitations of Stargazer

• Performance focus may feel transactional for some creators
• Brand narrative and visual cohesion might take a back seat
• Teams wanting high touch creative collaboration may want more

Who each agency is best for

Instead of asking which agency is “better,” it is more helpful to ask which one fits where you are right now.

When August United is likely a better match

• You have a clear brand platform and want creators to express it.
• You value strong creative concepts and polished execution.
• You plan larger campaigns a few times a year, often around launches.
• You see influencer work as part of long term brand building.

When Stargazer is likely a better match

• You prioritize measurable growth and acquisition costs.
• You want to test many creators and creative angles quickly.
• You are comfortable shifting budget toward what performs best.
• You see creator content as a performance and social proof engine.

When a platform alternative may work better

Full service agencies are not always the right answer, especially if you have an in house team ready to run more of the work.

Where a platform like Flinque fits in

Flinque, for example, is a platform based option that lets brands find creators, manage campaigns, and track performance without hiring a full service agency.

It suits marketing teams that prefer direct control, want to build internal knowledge, and need more flexible budgets than agency retainers allow.

Signs you might be ready for a platform

• You already have social and creative resources in house.
• You want to test influencer marketing before committing to large retainers.
• You are comfortable managing creator outreach and communication.
• You want transparent data and workflows under your own roof.

FAQs

How do I decide which type of influencer partner I need?

Start with your main goal. If you want strong brand storytelling and larger signature campaigns, a creative leaning agency helps. If you mainly need measurable growth and rapid testing, a performance focused partner or platform is often better.

Can I work with both an agency and a platform?

Yes. Some brands use a full service agency for major launches and a platform for always on creator programs. The key is to avoid overlapping scopes and to clearly define who owns which channels and relationships.

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

Timelines vary. Brand building impact can take several months, while performance campaigns may show early signals within weeks. Realistically, expect at least one to three full cycles of testing and optimization before drawing firm conclusions.

Do I need a big budget to work with these agencies?

You do not always need huge budgets, but both agencies tend to work best when there is enough funding for proper strategy, testing, and creator fees. Very small budgets can limit learning and make it hard to access their fuller capabilities.

What should I prepare before reaching out to an influencer agency?

Clarify your main goals, rough budget range, timing, target audience, key products, and brand guardrails. Coming in with even a basic brief helps the agency give realistic recommendations, timelines, and an engagement model that fits your needs.

Bringing it all together

Your choice between these agencies comes down to goals, budget, and how hands on you want to be.

If you prioritize creative storytelling with a strong brand lens, a partner like August United may feel more natural. If performance metrics and rapid testing drive your decisions, Stargazer’s approach may align better.

For teams with solid in house capabilities or tighter budgets, a platform such as Flinque can offer more control without long term retainers.

Whichever route you choose, push for clear goals, shared expectations, and transparent reporting from day one. That alignment matters more than any single feature on a pitch deck.

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.