Open Influence vs August United

Why brands stack influencer agencies side by side

When you compare Open Influence and August United, you are usually trying to answer one big question: which partner will actually move the needle for my brand, not just send me pretty reports?

Both are full service influencer marketing agencies, but they feel different in style, scale, and how hands on they are with creators.

You may be asking yourself things like: Who really understands my category? Who can handle my budget level? Who feels like a true extension of my team rather than just another vendor?

Influencer marketing agency choice as a core decision

The primary theme here is simple: influencer marketing agency choice shapes how quickly you can test ideas, learn what works, and scale real results rather than vanity metrics.

Your choice affects campaign strategy, creative concepts, talent quality, negotiations, legal safety, and how smoothly content gets published across channels.

Instead of obsessing over which name is “better,” it helps to see how each agency operates and which one actually fits your brand stage, risk tolerance, and internal bandwidth.

What each agency is known for

Both agencies run full funnel influencer campaigns, but they built their reputations in different ways and with slightly different flavors.

What Open Influence is typically associated with

Open Influence is widely recognized for large scale, data informed influencer work that often spans multiple platforms and markets.

They lean into creative concepting and matching brands with a wide mix of creators, from rising micro voices to bigger personalities.

The agency is known for integrating influencer content into broader digital strategies, such as paid social amplification and multi channel storytelling.

What August United tends to be known for

August United leans heavily into the idea of “united” communities, focusing on longer term creator relationships and brand advocacy.

Their work often highlights authenticity, emotional storytelling, and strong fits between brand values and creator values.

They are frequently mentioned in conversations about human, values driven influencer programs that feel less transactional and more relational.

Inside Open Influence

Core services Open Influence usually offers

The agency typically provides end to end services that wrap around your entire influencer program rather than just talent sourcing.

Influencer strategy and creative concepts
Creator discovery and vetting across platforms
Campaign management and production support
Usage rights, contracts, and approvals
Content amplification through paid social
Reporting, insights, and recommendations

This structure suits brands that want a single partner covering everything from first brainstorm to final performance recap.

How Open Influence tends to run campaigns

Campaigns are usually planned like integrated media efforts, with clear objectives, audiences, and channel mixes defined upfront.

They often use data to shortlist creators, looking at engagement quality, audience fit, and past performance instead of just follower counts.

Once creators are locked, the team manages briefs, timelines, and feedback so your team does not have to chase dozens of influencers individually.

Creator relationships and talent style

Open Influence works with a wide spectrum of influencer types, including nano, micro, mid tier, and macro talent.

Expect a broad network that can tap into mainstream lifestyle, fashion, beauty, gaming, tech, travel, and more niche verticals as needed.

Their talent approach tends to emphasize scale and reach combined with performance data, which is helpful if you plan to run frequent waves of campaigns.

Typical client fit for Open Influence

Open Influence is often a good match for brands that:

Have meaningful media or influencer budgets to test and scale
Want measurable outcomes like sales lifts or site traffic
Operate across several regions or run multi market campaigns
Need a structured, process driven partner
Are ready to integrate influencer work with other digital channels

If your team is under resourced and needs heavy support across planning, production, and reporting, this style of agency can be appealing.

Inside August United

Core services August United usually offers

August United also covers the full influencer lifecycle but often puts extra weight on storytelling and community building.

Influencer program strategy and positioning
Creator matchmaking with strong values alignment
Content planning and creative direction
Campaign management and execution
Events or experiential activations with influencers
Measurement and post campaign learning

The agency often approaches engagements as long term partnerships instead of one off bursts of influencer spend.

How August United typically runs campaigns

Campaigns tend to start with deeper brand discovery, focusing on your story, mission, and what kind of community you want to build.

From there, the team selects creators who feel like natural champions of your message, rather than people who simply fit a demographic.

Content concepts usually emphasize real life experiences, honest reviews, and creator voices that sound genuinely personal to their audiences.

Creator relationships and partner style

August United often leans into micro and mid tier creators who are close to their communities and willing to build longer term partnerships.

This can lead to more genuine endorsements and a sense that creators are part of your brand’s extended family rather than quick hires.

The team tends to emphasize collaboration, letting influencers keep their unique style while still hitting brand talking points.

Typical client fit for August United

August United can be a strong choice for brands that:

Care deeply about values alignment and brand purpose
Want ongoing advocate style relationships with creators
Value emotional storytelling over pure performance metrics
Are building long term brand love, not just short term spikes
Operate in lifestyle, food, wellness, family, or cause driven spaces

If your leadership wants influencer work to feel meaningfully on brand and human, this style will likely resonate.

How the two agencies really differ

On the surface, both agencies deliver similar services, yet the experience for your team can feel quite different.

Approach to data and storytelling

Open Influence tends to prioritize data and scale, using analytics to decide which creators and formats are most likely to perform.

August United leans more into brand story, relationships, and authenticity, even if that means fewer creators in favor of deeper ties.

Neither approach is “right” or “wrong” but they fit different marketing cultures and expectations around proof.

Scale and campaign structure

Open Influence often excels at more complex, multi wave campaigns that require many moving pieces across markets or segments.

August United feels more boutique and relationship driven, focusing on curated groups of advocates rather than huge rosters of talent.

Your internal structure matters here: larger teams with big budgets might want the former, while focused, brand led teams may prefer the latter.

Client experience and collaboration style

With Open Influence, you are likely to see well defined processes, clear briefs, and standardized reporting formats.

With August United, you might feel more conversation around story, creative nuance, and the human side of partnerships.

Think about how your internal stakeholders like to work and what kind of partner will actually get decisions made quickly.

Pricing approach and how work is structured

Neither agency works on simple public rate cards because campaigns vary wildly by creator mix, deliverables, and channels.

Common pricing aspects for influencer agencies

Most full service influencer shops use a mix of campaign based fees and management costs.

Custom proposals tied to scope and objectives
Creator fees, often a large portion of total budget
Agency management or strategy fees
Production and content creation costs when needed
Optional paid media amplification budgets

For ongoing work, some brands move to monthly retainers that cover planning, execution, and reporting across multiple campaigns.

How this usually looks in practice

You will typically start with a discovery call, after which the agency drafts a proposal outlining approach, timing, and estimated budgets.

Expect multiple line items for things like creative ideation, talent sourcing, campaign management, and reporting.

*Many marketers worry about hidden costs, so asking for transparent breakdowns and what is or is not included is essential.*

Budget levels and fit

Both agencies are generally best suited for brands ready to invest serious, though not necessarily massive, budgets into influencer programs.

If you only have a very small test budget, you may find that minimums or management costs eat too much of your total spend.

In that case, a lighter touch solution or self managed platform could be more efficient until you prove the channel.

Strengths and limitations to keep in mind

Strengths of a scaled, data led agency

Open Influence style partners bring clear advantages when you want to move fast and test widely.

Access to larger pools of creators across multiple niches
Systems for handling complex, multi channel campaigns
Data informed shortlisting and optimization
Experience with brands that need compliance and approvals

The tradeoff can be that the relationship may feel more structured and less intimate, especially if you prefer very fluid creative exploration.

Strengths of a relationship driven agency

August United type partners shine when you want creators who feel like genuine brand friends, not one time hires.

Deep focus on values aligned partnerships
More consistent creator rosters over time
Storytelling that feels warm, human, and grounded
Potential for long term advocacy, not just short bursts

The limitation is that if you need high volume content and huge reach quickly, the relationship first approach can sometimes move more deliberately.

Common concerns brands often raise

*One of the most common worries is paying large fees and ending up with content that looks great but does not drive meaningful business results.*

Both types of agencies can deliver strong outcomes, but you must clarify success metrics early and insist on clear, honest reporting.

Another concern is losing control; aligning expectations on approvals, creative freedom, and risk tolerance is key before signing anything.

Who each agency is best suited for

When Open Influence may be the better fit

Mid market and enterprise brands with multi region ambitions
Companies with strong performance expectations from leadership
Teams wanting robust reporting and data without managing creators directly
Brands planning repeated influencer waves tied to product launches
Marketers who like structured processes and clear playbooks

When August United may be the better fit

Brands with a strong story, mission, or cause
Marketers prioritizing long term advocacy over one off bursts
Companies in lifestyle, wellness, CPG, or family oriented spaces
Teams that want closer relationships with a curated creator group
Leaders who value brand love, community, and sentiment

When a platform like Flinque may make more sense

Full service agencies are powerful, but they are not always the best first step for every brand or budget.

If your budgets are modest, or your team wants to stay closer to day to day creator relationships, a self managed platform can be smarter.

How a platform based option fits in

Tools such as Flinque let your team discover influencers, manage outreach, and run campaigns without committing to large agency retainers.

You still get structure and organization, yet you keep more control over creative decisions and direct creator communication.

This can be ideal for growing brands that want to build internal influencer knowledge rather than fully outsourcing from day one.

Signs you might prefer a platform first

Your monthly influencer budget is still in early test mode
You have someone in house who loves working with creators
You prefer to experiment quickly and learn before scaling
You are not yet ready for formal long term agency commitments

Later, once you know what works, you can always bring in a full service partner to help you scale proven playbooks.

FAQs

How do I choose between these two influencer agencies?

Start with your goals, budget, and how involved you want to be. If you need large scale, data heavy campaigns, choose a more structured partner. If you want deeper, values led creator relationships, pick the agency that focuses on advocacy and storytelling.

What kind of budget do I need for a full service influencer agency?

Budgets vary widely, but you should expect to invest enough to cover creator fees, agency management, creative, and potential paid boosting. If only a small amount is available, consider starting with a platform or smaller test programs first.

Can these agencies work with both B2C and B2B brands?

Yes, but they are generally strongest with consumer focused brands. B2B influencer work is possible, especially in tech or SaaS, but you should confirm relevant case studies and make sure they understand your buying cycle.

How long does it take to see results from influencer campaigns?

Awareness and engagement results can show up quickly, sometimes within days of content going live. Revenue and brand lift usually require multiple waves, testing formats, and learning which creators truly move your audience to action.

Should I sign a retainer or start with a single campaign?

Many brands start with a single campaign to test chemistry, process, and results. If the partnership goes well and you see traction, it can then make sense to move into a retainer for better continuity and long term planning.

Conclusion

Choosing between these influencer partners is less about who is objectively better and more about who fits your team, timelines, and growth stage.

If your priority is scale, data, and complex multi channel execution, a more structured, analytics driven agency will likely serve you best.

If your priority is deep storytelling, values alignment, and lasting creator relationships, a relationship oriented partner may be the wiser pick.

Consider your budget, your appetite for risk, and how much control you want to keep in house. From there, ask each agency direct questions about process, measurement, and how they will plug into your existing marketing engine.

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.