Obviously vs Acceleration Partners

Why brands look at these two influencer partners

Brands hunting for reliable influencer help often end up weighing Obviously against Acceleration Partners. Both work with creators, support large brands, and talk about long term partnerships, but they look at the world of influence in very different ways.

Most marketers want clarity on three things. What kind of influencer work each team actually does, how hands on they are, and which one fits their budget and growth goals.

What Obviously and Acceleration Partners are known for
Obviously: services and client fit
Acceleration Partners: services and client fit
How their approaches feel day to day
Pricing and how engagements usually work
Strengths and limitations to keep in mind
Who each agency is best for
When a platform like Flinque makes more sense
FAQs
Conclusion: how to choose confidently
Disclaimer

What Obviously and Acceleration Partners are known for

The primary keyword for this page is influencer agency comparison. That phrase captures what most brand leaders are searching for when they weigh these two teams.

Obviously is widely recognized as a specialist influencer marketing agency. Their story centers on managing creator relationships, content production, and social campaigns from idea to reporting.

Acceleration Partners is better known for performance partnerships and affiliate programs. Influencer work is often tied to trackable outcomes like sales, leads, and revenue sharing.

So the choice is rarely “who is better,” but rather “do we need deep creator storytelling or highly measured partner performance?” Some brands need both, but most lean toward one side first.

Obviously: services and client fit

Obviously positions itself as a full service influencer shop, designed for brands that want a creative, social first engine without building everything in house.

Core services from Obviously

While offerings evolve, the agency typically supports clients with a few core buckets of work that cover the full influencer lifecycle.

Influencer discovery and vetting across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and others
Campaign strategy, concept development, and creative briefs for creators
Outreach, negotiations, contracts, and content approvals
Product seeding, gifting programs, and long term ambassador builds
Usage rights, whitelisting, and paid amplification of creator content
Reporting on reach, views, engagement, and sometimes sales impact

For many brands, this feels like an outsourced influencer department: the agency hunts for talent, pitches ideas, manages logistics, and surfaces results.

How Obviously tends to run campaigns

Obviously is often described as highly hands on. Teams build curated creator lists, manage one to one communication, and structure content calendars aligned to launches or ongoing storytelling.

Campaigns may center on unboxing experiences, how to content, product tutorials, or social friendly challenges. The agency usually tries to balance brand guidelines with creator voice.

In practice, this means your marketing team spends more time on direction, feedback, and approvals, while Obviously handles the heavy lifting with creators and timelines.

Creator relationships and network style

Obviously has invested in building a large creator network and ongoing relationships, which can speed up sourcing and onboarding. Many influencers have worked with the agency across multiple campaigns.

This can be a plus for brands needing quick scale or access to specific niches. However, it sometimes means influencer availability is shaped by existing partnerships and past performance data.

The agency usually focuses on social native creators, not just traditional bloggers. Expect a strong emphasis on Instagram and TikTok, along with short form video content.

Brands that tend to fit Obviously

Obviously has supported consumer facing categories where visuals and storytelling matter. While names change over time, similar fits often include:

Beauty, skincare, and cosmetics brands looking for tutorial and review content
Fashion, footwear, and accessories leaning on outfit posts and styling tips
Food, beverage, and wellness products using recipe or lifestyle content
Apps and consumer tech that shine through demos and day in the life videos

These brands usually care deeply about aesthetics, social buzz, and sustained presence, not only last click sales numbers.

Acceleration Partners: services and client fit

Acceleration Partners came up in the world of affiliate and partner programs. Influencer work is part of a bigger focus on outcome driven partnerships.

Core services from Acceleration Partners

Rather than starting strictly with social posts, this team generally thinks in terms of performance channels and measurable growth.

Program strategy and setup for affiliate and partner marketing
Recruitment of partners, including influencers, publishers, and content creators
Management of partner relationships, commission structures, and program rules
Optimization for revenue, customer acquisition, or lead quality
Reporting focused on sales, conversion rate, and return on investment

Influencers within this model are often treated as one type of partner among many, where performance metrics matter heavily.

How Acceleration Partners tends to run campaigns

Rather than one off bursts of creator content, Acceleration Partners leans into always on partnerships. Creators might get unique links, codes, or commissions tied to their audiences.

Campaigns then look less like a single launch and more like an ongoing sales channel. The team fine tunes which partners drive value, shifts budget, and manages incentives.

This can feel less flashy than viral content pushes, but more grounded in long term revenue tracking and optimization.

Creator relationships in a performance world

Because Acceleration Partners comes from the affiliate world, they often work with a mix of creators, coupon sites, loyalty platforms, and niche publishers.

Influencers in this mix tend to be comfortable with performance based deals, such as earning commissions on sales. This can attract creators who see themselves as long term partners, not just paid endorsers.

The tradeoff is that some high profile influencers prefer flat fees over performance deals. Brands must decide which type of creator alignment they value more.

Brands that tend to fit Acceleration Partners

Acceleration Partners commonly works with businesses where revenue tracking is clear and partnership programs can scale. Good fits often include:

Ecommerce brands with multi product catalogs and strong margins
Subscription services like software, boxes, or digital platforms
Travel, hospitality, and experience based businesses
Financial services or education products with measurable signups

These brands usually want a firm grip on unit economics and the ability to attribute sales to specific partners and influencers.

How their approaches feel day to day

From the outside, both teams might seem similar. They work with creators, report on results, and talk about partnerships. In practice, the day to day can feel very different.

Storytelling focus versus performance focus

Obviously tends to start with creative storytelling. What content will move people, fit the brand, and make sense on each platform? Metrics matter, but the narrative usually leads.

Acceleration Partners often starts with performance structure. How should partners be paid, tracked, and managed? Storytelling is important, but sales and leads are the core lens.

Neither approach is “right” or “wrong.” The question is whether your team cares more about creativity or trackable performance when tough choices arise.

Relationship style and collaboration with your team

Working with Obviously often feels like adding a social creative team. You will likely spend time on briefs, content reviews, and planning calendars around launches.

Working with Acceleration Partners can feel closer to hiring a performance growth group. You will dig into funnel metrics, partner tiers, and long term channel mix.

If your internal team is heavy on brand marketing, Obviously may map more naturally. If you already live in spreadsheets and revenue models, Acceleration Partners may click faster.

Scale and types of creators engaged

Obviously often manages large rosters of mid tier and micro influencers to cover multiple regions and demographics. Campaigns can involve dozens or hundreds of creators.

Acceleration Partners might work with a smaller number of high value partners, especially when affiliate style revenue sharing is involved, but they can also scale widely when economics support it.

The key difference is the lens: reach and relevance versus measurable revenue impact per partner.

Pricing and how engagements usually work

Influencer agency pricing is rarely one size fits all. Both agencies typically offer custom proposals rather than public price lists.

How brands usually pay Obviously

Obviously generally charges for strategy and campaign management, on top of creator fees. Common structures include:

Project based pricing for specific launches or campaigns
Ongoing retainers for brands wanting year round influencer activity
Separate budgets to pay creators directly or through the agency

Costs often depend on number of influencers, content volume, usage rights, and platform mix. Video heavy campaigns or premium creators usually cost more.

How brands usually pay Acceleration Partners

Acceleration Partners tends to structure work around program management and performance. Typical elements might include:

Management fees for running partner and affiliate programs
Performance based payouts to partners and influencers
Occasional flat fees for specific initiatives or special placements

Budgets are influenced by your total partner channel size, target markets, expected sales, and how complex your commission structures are.

What shapes total investment with either team

Several shared factors will increase or decrease your spend with either agency, even if the models differ.

Number of markets or regions you want to cover
How many creators or partners are involved
Whether you need creative production beyond influencer content
Data, reporting, and attribution depth
Speed of launch and any rushed timelines

*Many brands quietly worry they will underestimate influencer costs and be forced to scale back later.* Honest budget talks early on help avoid that outcome.

Strengths and limitations to keep in mind

Every agency has areas where it shines and areas where it is less ideal. Thinking clearly about both sides can save you from mismatched expectations.

Where Obviously tends to shine

Deep experience with visual and social first consumer brands
Ability to manage complex campaigns with many influencers
Strong focus on creative fit and brand storytelling
Hands on help with day to day creator logistics

This can be powerful when you need your brand to show up beautifully and consistently across multiple platforms and regions.

Where Obviously may feel limiting

May be less focused on advanced affiliate and partner structures
Heavy agency involvement can feel costly for simple needs
Brands wanting only performance based deals may not find a perfect fit

For very small budgets or purely performance driven teams, a lighter touch platform or performance partner might feel more efficient.

Where Acceleration Partners tends to shine

Strong track record in affiliate and partner growth programs
Performance mindset with emphasis on measurable outcomes
Experience coordinating different partner types, not only influencers
Useful for brands building influencer channels tied directly to sales

Marketers with revenue targets and board level metrics often appreciate the structure and discipline this style brings.

Where Acceleration Partners may feel limiting

May feel too performance heavy for brands chasing pure awareness
Creators wanting fixed fees over commissions might hesitate
Visual creative direction may sit more with your in house team

Brands prioritizing cinematic storytelling, viral challenges, or top of funnel buzz might prefer a creative led influencer partner or in house team.

Who each agency is best for

Thinking in terms of “best fit” rather than “best overall” makes decisions clearer and less stressful.

When Obviously is usually a strong fit

You sell visually driven consumer products that live on social media.
You want an agency to handle sourcing, briefs, approvals, and reporting.
You care about storytelling, aesthetics, and long term brand tone.
You have budget for creator fees and creative production, not only commissions.

Brands launching new products, entering new markets, or rebranding often find this style appealing, because it focuses on shaping perception and building buzz.

When Acceleration Partners is usually a strong fit

You already run or want to build a structured partner or affiliate program.
You need influencer work to tie clearly to sales and revenue.
You are comfortable with performance based payouts and tracking.
You view influencers as part of a larger partner ecosystem.

This tends to work best when leadership expects direct attribution and clear return on investment from every major marketing channel.

When a platform like Flinque makes more sense

Not every brand is ready for full service retainers. Some teams want more control, lighter costs, and the ability to test influencer marketing before committing.

Flinque is an example of a platform first alternative. Rather than operating as an agency, it gives brands tools to discover creators, manage outreach, and run campaigns in house.

This can suit teams that already have marketing staff, but lack infrastructure for influencer workflows. You keep ownership of creator relationships while leaning on software for organization.

Platform approaches work particularly well when you want to:

Run smaller experiments before larger investments
Build direct, long term relationships with a core creator group
Keep flexible budgets without ongoing management retainers
Integrate influencer activity with existing internal processes

The tradeoff is clear: less done for you support, more responsibility on your team. For some marketers, that is a benefit; for others, it is a burden.

FAQs

How should I decide between these two agencies?

Start by ranking your priorities: creative storytelling, pure performance, or a blend. Then look at your internal strengths. If you lack social creative muscle, a storytelling heavy partner helps. If you need revenue proof, a performance heavy partner may fit better.

Can I work with both agencies at the same time?

Some brands use a creative led influencer partner for awareness campaigns and a performance agency for affiliate and partner growth. If you pursue this, define roles clearly to avoid overlap, mixed messaging, or confusing incentives for creators and partners.

Do I need a big budget to hire an influencer agency?

You need enough budget to pay for management plus creator work. These are not typically low cost options. If resources are tight, consider starting with a smaller pilot, a platform based solution, or a limited set of creators you manage directly.

How long before I see results from influencer marketing?

Awareness and engagement can move quickly, sometimes from the first campaign. Sales and long term impact usually take longer. Plan for several months of learning, refinement, and relationship building before judging overall performance fairly.

What should I ask during agency discovery calls?

Ask for recent examples relevant to your industry, who will work on your account, how they report results, and how they handle creator selection. Clarify expectations about timelines, communication frequency, and how success will be measured together.

Conclusion: how to choose confidently

Choosing between these influencer focused partners comes down to how you define success and what support your team truly needs.

If your biggest gap is social storytelling, creator logistics, and content volume, a creative heavy influencer agency will likely feel natural. You will get ideas, relationships, and execution in one place.

If your biggest gap is channel level performance and scalable partner economics, a performance focused partner will likely serve you better. You will get structure, tracking, and optimization across many partner types.

Before you decide, align leadership on three things: your primary goal, your realistic budget, and how involved your team wants to be. From there, conversations with each potential partner become far clearer and more productive.

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.