HelloSociety vs IMA: Both Brands Retired
One of these is not a live option. HelloSociety has not operated since September 2019. IMA is the side you can actually brief.
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Which one is right for you
Three buyers, three picks. Find the column that sounds like your team.
Consider HelloSociety if
- You are researching its history only
- You found an old reference to check
- You want context on early influencer agencies
Look up IMA if
- You are checking whether IMA still trades
- You are tracing where the work moved
- You need to rule IMA in or out
Choose Flinque if
- You want verified creators and fake-follower checks with no sales call
- You want flat published pricing you can start free
- You want to run discovery in-house, not hand it to an agency
HelloSociety vs IMA vs Flinque
The factors below are set out for the record. Neither HelloSociety nor IMA is a live option today. Flinque is the flat-price software option on the right.
| Factor | HelloSociety | IMA | Best valueFlinque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Not available, closed 2019 | Not available, brand retired | Teams running discovery in-house |
| Agency type | Defunct, New York Times-owned | Europe's largest influencer agency | Self-serve software, not an agency |
| Engagement model | No longer operating | Custom, enterprise scope | Flat monthly subscription |
| Typical minimum | Not available | Undisclosed | Free, then $49/mo |
| Published pricing | None | None, nor any at Monks | $0 to $150/mo, public |
| Creator network | Historical, not active | Large global creator network | 10M+ verified, 200 data points each |
| Platforms covered | Formerly Pinterest and social | All social platforms, global | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X |
| Services | Formerly analytics and campaigns | Strategy, creators, content, production | Discovery, vetting and audience data |
| Campaign management | no:shut down | fully managed | You run it, software assists |
| Content and usage rights | Not applicable | Full-service global campaigns | You negotiate directly with creators |
| Paid amplification | Not applicable | Part of S4 Capital and MediaMonks | Run your own whitelisting |
| Measurement and reporting | Not available | Not available | Audience and fake-follower data built in |
| Team and locations | Santa Monica, until 2019 | Amsterdam, until 2019 | Software with support included |
| Time to launch | Not available | After scoping and strategy | 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 HelloSociety was
It is worth saying plainly that HelloSociety is not a supplier you can appoint. The record is clear: a crawler sees a 200 but a reader sees an under-construction page. Acquisition by The New York Times Company closed in March 2016; closure as a separate business followed in September 2019.
It was founded in 2012 and ran a curated influencer network rather than an open marketplace. T Brand Studio is where the operation went inside the Times. Pricing is unknown and now permanently uncheckable.
A 200 status code is not evidence of a trading business and this domain is the clearest example of that. No live business has taken the name on.
What HelloSociety was known for
- Editorial-quality branded content
- Work that fitted a publisher's standards
- More than 1,500 influencers at the 2016 sale
- A hand-picked rather than open network
Why it is not a live option
- No first-party page survives
- A parked domain answers 200
- There is no successor brand
- A 200 status code does not mean a live business
What IMA was
Anyone searching this name should know IMA is not a firm you can brief. The merger with S4 Capital's MediaMonks was announced in August 2019. This is easy to verify: the old domain now lands on Monks, while monks.com/ima is a 404.
Pricing was looked for on the Monks influencer solution page and was not found there. It began in Amsterdam in 2010 under Emilie Tabor and Maddie Raedts, with Anneke Schogt taking over as chief executive in 2016. Two further renames followed, to Media.Monks in 2021 and Monks in 2024.
A brand that wanted IMA should be talking to Monks. Anything attached to this name beyond the 2019 announcement comes from directories rather than the company.
What IMA was known for
- Clients S4 Capital named including Heineken and Diesel
- A matchmaking platform of its own
- Founded 2010 by Emilie Tabor and Maddie Raedts
- A team of 85 digital experts at the 2019 merger
Why it is not a live option
- No IMA reference survives on the Monks page
- imagency.com redirects to Monks
- No current network size is published
- No current client list exists under it
Head to head
This pairing needs a caveat before the detail. The first thing to state is that IMA cannot be engaged today. MediaMonks, part of S4 Capital, merged with it in August 2019. Two checks settle it: the agency's own domain forwards to Monks and no IMA-branded page survives anywhere on it. Both names are history, so this page is a record rather than a recommendation.
Which should you actually pick
Forget the pitch decks for a second. Match the partner to the situation you are in.
You are checking on IMA
Set against HelloSociety, IMA has nothing current to offer on this point. Monks is.
→ Read the historyYou found an old HelloSociety reference
Treat it as outdated. HelloSociety no longer operates, so any shortlist including it needs updating to live options.
→ Note it is defunctYou want to run discovery in-house
No retainer, no scoping call. You want to search 10M+ verified creators across four platforms with a fake-follower check on each. Start free on Flinque and upgrade at $49 only if you keep using it.
→ Pick FlinqueYou want verified creators without a retainer
IMA is not a live option, so it cannot be weighed against HelloSociety on this point. Flinque's 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 HelloSociety and IMA
What is the main difference between HelloSociety and IMA?
Is HelloSociety still operating?
Which should I pick, HelloSociety or IMA?
What happened to HelloSociety?
What makes IMA notable?
How does each find creators?
Is IMA built for small brands?
Is there a software alternative to both agencies?
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