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Introduction
Two strong influencer agencies, one fundamental difference: what they are trying to achieve. The Influencer Marketing Factory made its name making brands famous with Gen Z, pioneering TikTok campaigns for household-name clients. Stargazer pitches itself as a performance shop, the kind you hire to drive app installs and keep acquisition costs down. Picking between them is really about whether you want awareness or action.
This piece walks through what the two have in common, where they part ways, the brand each is built for, plus an option for running things without an agency at all.
Where they overlap
The two agencies share a fair amount of common ground before they diverge.
- Full-service both. Each runs campaigns from creator selection through execution to reporting.
- Same core platforms. TikTok, Instagram and YouTube sit at the heart of what they do.
- Data-driven. Both lean on analytics and proprietary data to pick creators and prove results.
- Managed services. You hire a team to run the work, rather than operating a tool yourself.
Where they split
This is the heart of the decision. Set side by side, the contrast is clear.
| Factor | The Influencer Marketing Factory vs Stargazer |
|---|---|
| Primary goal | The Factory chases brand awareness, Stargazer chases direct-response performance |
| Typical client | The Factory serves marquee brands, Stargazer serves apps and e-commerce |
| Creator strategy | The Factory leans on curated marquee campaigns, Stargazer activates long-tail creators at scale |
| Standout strength | The Factory pioneered TikTok awareness work, Stargazer built performance and acquisition tech |
| Headquarters | The Factory in Miami and New York, Stargazer in San Francisco and Miami |
Company details compiled from public sources (Crunchbase, Influencer Marketing Hub, company sites). Network and pricing figures vary, so confirm directly.
Who each fits
Match the agency to your actual objective, since picking on reputation alone leads you wrong.
Reach for The Influencer Marketing Factory when your aim is awareness and cultural relevance with younger audiences, especially if you want polished, big-brand campaigns and a name that reassures stakeholders. Lean toward Stargazer when your metric is response, app installs, sign-ups or sales at a controlled cost, where you value a large long-tail creator pool plus performance tooling. A brand launching a consumer product wants the first, while a mobile app fighting for cheap installs wants the second.
Running it yourself
Both options put a managed agency between you and the creators, with the cost that implies. If your team has the appetite to run campaigns directly, there is a leaner path worth weighing.
Flinque is one such option. Instead of a managed agency, your in-house marketers drive the work: hunting for creators, confirming they are legitimate, briefing them and handling outreach, so more of the budget reaches talent. Across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X you narrow to creators whose niche and audience fit, then screen each for fake followers and benchmark their engagement before you commit. The price is plain, free to begin and $49 a month after, against a pool of 10M+ verified creators in 25+ countries. What it will not do is staff a campaign or supply proprietary acquisition tech, so the trade is managed service against control and a much smaller bill.
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Try Flinque free →Common questions
What is the difference between The Influencer Marketing Factory and Stargazer?+
Mainly the goal they optimise for. The Influencer Marketing Factory built its name on brand-awareness campaigns for Gen Z and Millennials, working with marquee clients and pioneering TikTok marketing. Stargazer positions itself as a performance agency, focused on direct-response results like app installs and low acquisition costs for apps and e-commerce brands. So one chases reach and cultural impact, the other chases measurable conversions.
Which agency is better for app installs?+
Stargazer leans that way by design. It describes itself as a performance platform built around direct-response campaigns, working with app and e-commerce brands to drive users while keeping cost per acquisition low. Its proprietary audience and engagement data is aimed squarely at finding creators who convert. The Influencer Marketing Factory can run performance work too, though its centre of gravity is awareness and brand-building rather than install volume.
Which one works with bigger brands?+
The Influencer Marketing Factory has the more recognisable client list, including major names in tech and music, plus a strong reputation for large brand-awareness campaigns. Stargazer works at scale too, though through a large network of long-tail creators and a more performance-led pitch. Bigger client logos do not automatically mean a better fit, though: the right choice depends on whether your goal is brand reach or measurable response.
How much do these agencies charge?+
Both work on custom quotes rather than public pricing, with neither targeting small budgets. As full-service agencies they manage campaigns end to end, so expect project or retainer pricing scaled to your goals and the work involved. Stargazer's performance framing may lend itself to outcome-linked arrangements, while The Influencer Marketing Factory tends toward managed campaign engagements. For real numbers you will need a tailored proposal from each.
Is there a cheaper alternative to both?+
Yes, if your team can run the work itself. Both agencies are managed services with agency-level costs, whereas a self-serve platform lets your own people handle discovery and vetting for a flat monthly fee. Flinque does exactly that from 49 dollars a month. You forgo managed campaign delivery and the agencies' proprietary tech, though you keep control of the budget and spend the bulk of it on creators rather than fees.
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