Cure Media vs IMA

Why brands weigh Cure Media against IMA

When you start looking at influencer partners in Europe, two names pop up often: Cure Media and IMA. Both focus on helping brands work with creators, but they do it in slightly different ways.

Most marketers want to know who is better for their industry, how hands-on each agency is, and what kind of results they can expect.

Influencer agency overview

The primary topic here is the European influencer marketing agencies landscape. Both Cure Media and IMA operate as full service teams that plan, manage, and optimize creator campaigns on behalf of brands.

They are not plug and play software tools. Instead, you work with strategists, account managers, and creator specialists who handle most of the heavy lifting.

What each agency is known for

To make sense of these two options, it helps to zoom out and look at their reputations, history, and typical use cases in plain language.

Cure Media at a glance

Cure Media is widely associated with data driven influencer campaigns in Europe, especially within fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. They focus on long term creator partnerships and ongoing programs rather than only one off bursts.

Their positioning leans toward performance, measurement, and understanding how creators impact sales, not just awareness.

IMA at a glance

IMA, sometimes known as the Influencer Marketing Agency, is headquartered in Amsterdam and has been around since the early days of the creator economy. They are often linked to global campaigns and larger brand names.

They tend to handle highly produced, multi country projects that involve content creation, events, and social storytelling.

Inside Cure Media

Core services

Cure Media mainly focuses on influencer programs across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and sometimes blogs or podcasts. Their work usually includes:

• Strategy for always on and seasonal campaigns
• Creator discovery and vetting
• Contracting, briefing, and content approvals
• Campaign tracking, reporting, and optimization
• Support with creative angles and messaging

They tend to pitch themselves as a partner for brands that want reliable, repeatable growth from creator campaigns.

How Cure Media runs campaigns

Cure Media often builds ongoing programs where creators collaborate with a brand for months, not just a single post. This helps with consistency, audience trust, and content reuse.

Campaigns are structured around clear goals, such as sales, app installs, or branded search, and then broken down into waves of creator content.

Creator relationships and selection

The agency works with both macro and micro creators, but many of their case stories highlight mid sized influencers with engaged audiences. They look at more than follower counts.

They use a mix of tools and manual checks to review audience quality, fake followers, engagement patterns, and brand fit before recommending any creator.

Typical client profile for Cure Media

Most commonly, Cure Media is a fit for brands that:

• Sell fashion, beauty, or lifestyle products to consumers
• Want to grow in the Nordics, DACH, or wider Europe
• Care about sales and measurable returns from creators
• Prefer an ongoing program instead of one off bursts

They can also work with eCommerce brands outside these sectors, but their strongest track record sits in consumer categories.

Inside IMA

Core services

IMA offers a broad set of services around influencer and social led campaigns, often with a creative and production heavy focus, including:

• Global influencer strategy and concept development
• Creator sourcing, casting, and management
• Content production and creative direction
• Campaign rollout across multiple markets
• Measurement, reporting, and social insights

Their work often intersects with branding, events, and broader social content beyond just sponsored posts.

How IMA runs campaigns

IMA tends to run larger, more complex campaigns that may involve many creators across different countries. Timelines can be longer due to concepting, production, and coordination.

They also collaborate with big consumer brands, which typically require layered approvals and cross team alignment.

Creator relationships and selection

The Amsterdam based team has built networks with creators across Europe and beyond. They often cast talent for visual storytelling, travel content, or highly aesthetic campaigns.

They may lean more on premium and mid to large creators, especially when working with luxury and lifestyle brands that want polished content.

Typical client profile for IMA

• Global or regional consumer brands with larger budgets
• Companies wanting multi country influencer rollouts
• Brands that value creative ideas and production quality
• Teams ready to involve internal marketing, PR, and media

They can also support emerging brands, but much of their work fits enterprise level clients.

How the two agencies differ

On paper, both are full service. In practice, there are some differences that matter when you pick a partner.

Focus and positioning

Cure Media positions itself strongly around performance, ongoing programs, and eCommerce friendly results. They highlight the link between influencers and sales.

IMA leans more into creative storytelling, brand building, and high impact launches that unfold across platforms and markets.

Scale and geography

Cure Media has particular strength in Northern and Central Europe. They know the local creators, culture, and shopper habits in those regions.

IMA operates from Amsterdam but often delivers campaigns spanning many markets, including Europe, North America, and sometimes Asia.

Campaign style

Cure Media typically leans into ongoing partnerships, evergreen content, and repeated creator collaborations. Campaigns can feel more like always on programs.

IMA often delivers larger, themed pushes, such as seasonal campaigns, global launches, or creative stories built around a big idea.

Client experience

With Cure Media, you may feel closer to a performance focused partner who speaks about tests, iterations, and scaling what works.

With IMA, the experience may feel more like working with a creative agency that brings concepts, moodboards, and storytelling ideas.

Pricing and how work is structured

Neither agency publishes simple price sheets. Instead, costs are shaped by scope, geography, and the type of creators involved.

How Cure Media usually prices work

Cure Media often works through ongoing retainers or multi month programs. Pricing usually includes:

• Strategy and account management time
• Creator fees and content rights
• Campaign tracking and reporting
• Testing and optimization cycles

Budgets can scale up or down based on how many creators are active and which markets you target.

How IMA usually prices work

IMA tends to quote custom projects and global programs. Costs are shaped by:

• Number of markets involved
• Complexity of creative ideas and production
• Volume and tier of creators
• Length of the engagement

For ongoing relationships, they may use retainers with project based add ons for special activations.

What drives cost for both

With any influencer agency, budget is driven by:

• Creator size and exclusivity
• Content formats and usage rights
• Regions and languages covered
• Reporting depth and required data

*Many brands are surprised by how much usage rights and additional content requests can increase total cost.*

Strengths and limitations

Neither agency is perfect for every situation. Knowing where they shine and where they might not fit helps you avoid frustration later.

Where Cure Media tends to shine

• Ongoing programs that drive repeated purchases and loyalty
• Brands selling directly online, especially in fashion and beauty
• Markets where they have deep regional expertise
• Testing different creator mixes and scaling what performs

They are often a strong choice for marketers focused on trackable growth and structured experimentation.

Where Cure Media may feel limited

• Very small budgets needing just one or two posts
• Brands seeking ultra flashy, one off creative stunts
• Companies with no appetite for ongoing programs

*Some teams worry that a data heavy approach can feel less “creative”, even if results are strong.*

Where IMA tends to shine

• Large, multi market campaigns with many stakeholders
• Brands wanting highly produced content and bold ideas
• Premium and lifestyle companies that value image and story
• Global launches where coordination is complex

They are often a natural fit for bigger brands with broader marketing plans and larger campaign budgets.

Where IMA may feel limited

• Smaller brands that need very lean, performance first setups
• Companies focused only on one local market with simple needs
• Teams that want tight control of day to day creator outreach

*A creative heavy process can sometimes feel slower or more layered than smaller teams expect.*

Who each agency is best for

When Cure Media is usually a fit

• Direct to consumer brands selling fashion, beauty, or lifestyle
• Mid sized companies entering or expanding in European markets
• Marketing teams that care a lot about measurement and sales
• Brands ready to commit to multi month creator programs

If you see influencers as a core growth channel rather than a one off test, Cure Media can be a solid match.

When IMA is usually a fit

• Global or regional brands planning big themed launches
• Companies that want polished content and strong storytelling
• Teams with internal support for creative reviews and approvals
• Brands with budgets for multi country or premium collaborations

If you want influencers woven into a broader brand story, IMA often fits well.

When a platform alternative makes sense

Sometimes, a full service agency is more than you need, either because of budget or because you want closer control of relationships.

How a platform like Flinque fits in

Flinque is an example of a platform first approach. Instead of paying an agency retainer, you use software to find creators, manage outreach, and track campaigns yourself.

This can suit brands that have internal marketing staff and want to own creator relationships without a middle layer.

When a platform may be better

• You have a smaller budget and want to stretch it further
• Your team is comfortable with hands on creator outreach
• You prefer building long term direct relationships with talent
• You want flexible, campaign by campaign control

However, you trade some of the strategic guidance and execution support that agencies provide.

FAQs

Is Cure Media or IMA better for small brands?

Both mainly serve mid sized and larger brands. Smaller companies often find that agency retainers and creator fees add up quickly. In that case, a platform solution or smaller local partner may be a better starting point.

Do these agencies only work with fashion and beauty?

No. While fashion, beauty, and lifestyle are common sectors, both have worked with other industries such as travel, consumer tech, and retail. Their strongest track records, however, remain in visually driven consumer categories.

Can I keep creator relationships after a campaign?

This depends on contract terms and how agreements are structured. Many agencies allow brands to work again with creators, but some may retain certain coordination roles. Always ask upfront about ownership of relationships and future access.

How long does it take to launch a campaign?

For both agencies, planning, casting, contracting, and content prep often take several weeks. Larger or multi market projects can take a few months from briefing to launch, especially when there are many internal approvals.

Do they guarantee sales or ROI?

Neither can truly guarantee sales, since results depend on your product, pricing, landing pages, and seasonality. They should, however, set clear goals, benchmark performance, and optimize based on early data to move toward stronger returns.

Conclusion

Choosing between these influencer partners comes down to your goals, markets, and how involved you want to be.

If you want performance focused, ongoing programs with a strong European consumer focus, Cure Media often makes sense.

If you need global, creative, and visually rich campaigns for a larger brand, IMA is usually a natural candidate.

Brands with smaller budgets or hands on teams might instead lean toward a platform like Flinque or a mix of in house work and freelance support.

Clarify your goals, expected timelines, and budget boundaries, then speak with each partner about how they would approach your situation. The best choice is the one that fits your internal reality, not just your wishlist.

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.