Obviously vs IMA

Why brands look at these two influencer agencies

When brands explore influencer partnerships, two names often pop up: Obviously and IMA. Both are well known influencer marketing agencies, but they feel different once you look closely at how they work with creators and support in-house teams.

Most marketers want clarity on service depth, creative quality, global reach, and how much day-to-day help they will really get. You also want to know which agency fits your stage of growth, your budget flexibility, and how hands-on you plan to be.

What each agency is known for

The primary keyword for this topic is influencer marketing agencies. That phrase sums up what both teams do at their core: help brands work with creators in a more structured, scalable way than in-house outreach alone.

Obviously is often associated with data-driven campaigns and large scale creator programs. Brands see them as a partner that can manage hundreds or thousands of influencers while keeping tracking and reporting under control.

IMA, sometimes branded as IMA Agency or IMA Influencer Agency, is widely recognized for polished creative work and strong roots in European and global fashion, lifestyle, and premium consumer brands.

Both agencies run full service campaigns, from strategy and creator casting to content production and reporting. The differences show up in their creative feel, regional strengths, and the kinds of brands that usually gravitate toward each team.

Obviously: services, style, and client fit

Obviously positions itself as an end-to-end influencer partner for brands that want measurable results and the ability to scale. They tend to highlight technology, data, and operational muscle as key pillars of their service.

Core services offered by Obviously

While exact offerings evolve over time, Obviously typically focuses on:

• Influencer discovery and vetting across major social platforms
• Campaign strategy and creative direction tailored to each client
• Contract negotiation, compliance, and creator management
• Content review and coordination with brand teams
• Performance tracking, reporting, and learnings for future campaigns
• Always-on ambassador and advocacy programs

In most cases, a brand receives a dedicated account team. That team handles daily communication with creators, manages approvals, and surfaces data to the client in a structured way.

How Obviously approaches campaigns

Obviously tends to stress structure and process. Discovery, selection, and briefing are organized around brand goals such as sales, signups, app installs, or awareness metrics.

They are known for managing campaigns with large volumes of creators. That might include hundreds of micro-influencers posting across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for seasonal pushes or product launches.

Because of this scale, Obviously usually builds strong workflows for content approvals, revisions, and brand safety checks. Many clients look to them to take the chaos out of working with many influencers at once.

Creator relationships and network style

Obviously maintains an extensive network of creators, but it does not rely only on a closed pool. They typically mix database-driven search with new outreach when a brief needs it.

Creators often appreciate the steady flow of campaigns and clear briefs. At the same time, the experience can feel more structured and systemized than boutique or niche agencies with smaller rosters.

For brands, this structure can be reassuring when running repeated campaigns or ongoing programs. Consistency in communication and requirements reduces the risk of messy execution.

Typical client fit for Obviously

Obviously often works with mid-market and enterprise brands, including household names in beauty, retail, tech, and consumer goods. High volume product seeding and scaled awareness campaigns are common.

They tend to be a good match if you:

• Need to work with many creators at once in several regions
• Have strict brand guidelines and compliance needs
• Care deeply about measurable performance and optimization
• Prefer a partner that can handle operations end to end

Smaller brands may also work with Obviously, especially if they want to look more established quickly. However, budget thresholds and minimums usually apply.

IMA: services, style, and client fit

IMA, short for Influencer Marketing Agency, was one of the earlier specialist agencies to focus purely on influencer partnerships. Over time, it has built a strong reputation in Europe and globally for creative, brand-aligned campaigns.

Core services offered by IMA

IMA typically provides a full range of influencer services, often with an emphasis on creative quality and storytelling. Common offerings include:

• Influencer strategy aligned to brand positioning and market goals
• Creator casting with a strong eye for aesthetics and fit
• Campaign concepting and content direction
• Cross-channel activation, including events and experiences
• Content usage planning for paid amplification
• Measurement and wrap-up reporting

Their work often leans into visually driven platforms and lifestyle categories. Many of their public case studies highlight fashion, travel, design, and premium consumer products.

How IMA runs influencer campaigns

IMA tends to lean into narrative and brand feel. Instead of focusing only on volume, they often build tighter experiences or themed initiatives with carefully selected creators.

Campaigns might involve travel experiences, coordinated drops, or structured storytelling arcs across multiple creators. The process still includes operational rigor, but the spotlight often lands on creative execution.

Because of this, some campaigns may use smaller but more curated creator groups. For certain brands, that tradeoff of quality over quantity can be more valuable than sheer reach.

Creator community and relationships

IMA has long-standing relationships with many lifestyle and fashion creators, especially in Europe. That can translate into smoother casting and more natural-feeling collaborations for brands in these spaces.

Creators often value agencies that respect their style. IMA usually emphasizes authentic fits between brand and talent, rather than forcing creators into rigid templates.

This approach can lead to content that feels less like ads and more like coherent storytelling aligned with each influencer’s usual output.

Typical client fit for IMA

IMA tends to appeal to brands that care deeply about image and storytelling. That includes fashion labels, lifestyle brands, premium beauty, design-focused products, and tourism boards.

You may be a natural fit for IMA if you:

• Want polished, brand-led content across influencer feeds
• Need an agency with strong European and global lifestyle roots
• Value depth of creativity over maximum creator count
• Are focused on brand building, not just short-term sales

That said, IMA also works with larger consumer brands that want to inject more style and storytelling into evergreen influencer programs.

How these agencies differ in practice

On the surface, both teams deliver strategy, casting, management, and reporting. The differences emerge in how they prioritize scale, aesthetics, and the structure of collaboration with your internal team.

Scale and volume versus curated storytelling

Obviously usually positions itself around scalability and operational strength. They are comfortable designing and running campaigns across many creators, regions, and product lines at once.

IMA leans more into curated lineups and brand-first creative. You may work with fewer creators per activation, but each is highly selected for fit, style, and narrative potential.

Neither approach is inherently better. It depends whether your brand needs broad exposure quickly or rich storytelling with tighter groups of influencers.

Regional strengths and cultural feel

Both agencies operate internationally, but their histories shape their footprints. Obviously is frequently associated with North American brands and global campaigns that need strong process across markets.

IMA has a strong European heritage and often partners with global brands looking for cultural relevance in European markets, fashion hubs, and lifestyle scenes.

If local nuance and cultural cues matter for your category, it is worth asking each agency for regional case studies that map closely to your target audience.

Client experience and collaboration style

Obviously’s structure may feel more like a performance-oriented partner. Expect frequent reporting, strong emphasis on metrics, and clear systems for approvals.

IMA’s approach can feel closer to a creative or branding partner, with heavier emphasis on mood, storytelling, and visual identity throughout the influencer work.

In both cases, your internal team’s involvement level will shape the experience. Some brands prefer to be very hands-on; others want the agency to largely run the show.

Pricing approach and engagement style

Neither of these influencer marketing agencies publishes one-size-fits-all pricing for all services. Fees vary widely based on scope, markets, creator tiers, and how long you plan to work together.

How agencies typically charge for influencer work

Both Typically use flexible structures rather than rigid plans. Common models include:

• Project-based fees for specific campaigns or launches
• Monthly retainers for ongoing strategy and execution
• Management fees tied to influencer budgets and media spend
• Additional costs for travel, events, or production support

Influencer compensation itself is usually separate from agency fees. Payments to creators depend on follower size, engagement, content format, usage rights, and exclusivity.

Budget ranges and minimums

Well-established agencies often have minimum budget thresholds. That is because it takes a baseline level of work to run effective campaigns and maintain account teams.

For both teams, expect custom quotes based on your brief. Clarity on deliverables, content formats, and target regions will help you get more accurate proposals.

If your budget is relatively modest, ask upfront about minimums. It is better to know early whether your spend level is realistic for these agency partners.

Engagement style and length of relationship

Obviously often works on ongoing programs that run across multiple quarters, combining several waves of influencers and content. Long-term work helps them optimize based on performance data.

IMA may also prefer longer partnerships, especially for brand-building initiatives that require consistent storytelling. However, they frequently execute discrete campaigns tied to seasons, drops, or launches.

In both cases, brands that treat influencer work as an ongoing marketing channel, rather than one-off experiments, tend to see stronger results over time.

Strengths and limitations on both sides

Every agency partner has tradeoffs. Understanding where each one shines, and where you may need to supplement internally, helps you make a more grounded decision.

Where Obviously tends to be strong

• Handling complex, multi-market campaigns with large creator counts
• Structured processes for approvals, compliance, and reporting
• Performance-minded approach that aligns with growth targets
• Comfort working with established brands needing operational rigor

A common concern is whether large-scale campaigns can still feel personal and on-brand. That is why reviewing their case studies and asking about creative guardrails is so important.

Potential limitations with Obviously

• May feel less boutique for brands wanting intimate, small-batch projects
• Minimum budgets can be challenging for smaller or early-stage companies
• Heavier process might feel rigid if you prefer highly fluid collaboration

Where IMA tends to be strong

• Polished, aesthetically driven campaigns with strong storytelling
• Deep experience in fashion, lifestyle, and premium consumer sectors
• Strong European footprint and cultural sensibility
• Creator casting based on brand feel, not just metrics

Brands sometimes worry that a strong focus on image might overshadow hard performance metrics. That is worth discussing openly during scoping and briefing.

Potential limitations with IMA

• May not be the first choice for ultra-high-volume, performance-only pushes
• Budgets for premium creative concepts can be higher than pure seeding
• Brands with purely transactional goals may want more direct-response focus

Who each agency is best suited for

Instead of trying to declare a winner, it helps to match your needs to the agency profile that fits best. Consider your brand stage, market, and how you define success.

When Obviously may be the right agency

• Large or fast-growing brands needing high-volume campaigns
• Companies expanding into multiple countries at once
• Teams that want predictable processes and clear reporting
• Marketing leaders pressured to show direct business impact

If your main goal is to scale influencer activity as a serious acquisition or awareness channel, a data-driven and operationally strong partner is often the safest bet.

When IMA may be the better match

• Brands where visual identity and storytelling are central
• Fashion, lifestyle, travel, and premium consumer products
• Companies focusing on European markets or global style scenes
• Teams that prioritize long-term brand love over pure volume

If you are building desirability, community, and cultural relevance, an agency with deep creative roots in your category can punch above its weight for your brand.

When a platform like Flinque makes more sense

Full service agencies are not the only route to influencer success. Some brands prefer a hybrid path where they control more of the process and rely less on external retainers.

Flinque is an example of a platform-based option. Instead of operating as an agency, it provides tools that let brands handle influencer discovery, outreach, and campaign tracking themselves.

This kind of solution can be a strong fit if you already have marketing staff, want to build direct relationships with creators, and prefer to invest in internal capabilities.

You still benefit from structured workflows and data, but you avoid ongoing agency management fees. The tradeoff is that your team must own strategy, casting decisions, and day-to-day communication.

Some brands use platforms alongside agencies, especially when testing new markets or segments. Others gradually transition from agency-led work to more in-house control as their programs mature.

FAQs

How do I choose between these influencer marketing agencies?

Start with your main goal. If you want high-volume, multi-market execution with strong process, lean toward the more operationally focused option. If you care most about visual storytelling and lifestyle positioning, a creatively driven team is often better.

Can smaller brands work with these influencer marketing agencies?

Sometimes, but minimum budgets apply. If your budget is limited, be very transparent about spend and expectations early. If the fit is not right, consider starting with a platform-based solution or a smaller specialist agency.

Do these agencies only work with lifestyle and beauty brands?

No. While both have strong roots in lifestyle and consumer categories, they also work with technology, apps, retail, and other verticals. The key is whether your brand values creator-driven storytelling and social proof as part of growth.

How long does it take to launch a campaign?

Timelines vary, but most proper influencer campaigns need several weeks for strategy, casting, contracting, and content planning. Rushed launches usually sacrifice quality. Plan at least one to two months ahead for meaningful work.

Should I hire an agency or build an in-house influencer team?

If you move quickly and lack internal experience, an agency can shortcut learning and provide structure. If you have patient timelines, in-house talent, and want tight control, building an internal program or using a platform can be more sustainable.

Conclusion: choosing the right partner

Your decision should reflect how you view influencer marketing: as a scaled performance channel, a storytelling engine, or a blend of both. Each agency leans toward a different balance of those elements.

If you want broad reach, repeatable process, and heavy emphasis on measurement, a more operationally driven team like Obviously may be your best match. It aligns well with brands that already think in terms of channels, funnels, and quarterly targets.

If your priority is image, narrative, and alignment with culture, a creatively centered agency like IMA can be powerful. Their strengths appear most clearly when you care about the emotional side of brand building.

Take time to gather recent case studies, ask about teams you would work with, and push for honest discussion of tradeoffs. The right partner is the one whose strengths map directly to your goals, budget, and desired level of involvement.

Finally, do not overlook platform-based options if you value control and internal capability. Whether you choose a full service agency, a platform, or a mix, the real win is a steady, thoughtful influencer program that grows with your brand.

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.