Open Influence vs Carusele

Why brands weigh influencer agency choices

When you’re investing serious budget into creators, picking the right partner can make or break results. Many brands look at influencer marketing agencies like Open Influence and Carusele to handle strategy, creator sourcing, and day‑to‑day campaign work.

You’re usually trying to answer simple questions: Who will actually drive sales, who truly understands your audience, and who can be trusted with your brand voice?

This page walks through how each agency tends to operate, where they shine, where they may not be ideal, and how to decide what fits your budget and level of involvement.

Influencer campaign agency overview

The shortened key phrase at the heart of this topic is influencer campaign agencies. Both Open Influence and Carusele are service-based partners that design and run campaigns rather than simple discovery tools.

Neither works like self-serve software where you log in, buy credits, and manage everything alone. Instead, you’re hiring expert teams that bring strategy, creators, and production together.

Their focus is similar—branded content and influencer amplification—but the way they execute, the kinds of clients they attract, and how they measure success can feel very different once you’re inside a campaign.

What each agency is known for

At a high level, both agencies help brands work with influencers across social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more. Each has built a different reputation over time.

What Open Influence is generally recognized for

Open Influence is often associated with large, visually strong campaigns. They lean heavily into creative direction, content quality, and using data to pick the right creators for specific audiences.

They’re also known for working with bigger brands that want cross-channel programs, sometimes spanning multiple markets and languages.

What Carusele is generally recognized for

Carusele is closely linked with performance-focused influencer work. They’re known for syndicating influencer content through paid media, treating posts as creative assets to be tested and boosted.

Their messaging often emphasizes tracking, optimizing, and turning creator content into measurable reach and conversions, not just one-off exposure.

Inside Open Influence’s way of working

Open Influence acts like a creative studio merged with an influencer agency. Their work typically starts with understanding your brand story, then matching it to creators who can express that visually and authentically.

Services brands typically use

Services usually revolve around full-funnel campaign execution rather than piecemeal tasks. Common areas include:

• End-to-end influencer campaigns on major social platforms
• Creative concepting and content production support
• Creator sourcing, vetting, and contract management
• Usage rights, whitelisting, and content repurposing
• Reporting on reach, engagement, and brand lift metrics

Because they operate globally, they can often handle localization and cross-border campaigns for brands scaling into new regions.

Approach to campaigns

Campaigns tend to lean into big creative ideas, well-planned storytelling, and high production value. That doesn’t always mean every post is heavily polished, but there is a clear concept driving everything.

They often segment creators by audience interests, demographic fit, and visual style, then build a mix of talent from macro to micro.

Relationships with creators

Open Influence maintains an active network of creators. Many are not exclusively locked in, but the agency builds ongoing relationships by bringing repeat projects and keeping communications structured.

From a brand perspective, this can reduce the heavy lifting of outreach, negotiation, and coordination across dozens of influencers and platforms.

Typical client fit

Open Influence often fits brands that:

• Want visually strong, storytelling-driven campaigns
• Are ready for multi-channel or multi-market programs
• Have internal teams but need external creative and execution
• Care about brand perception as much as performance metrics

They’re usually a better match when you’re ready to invest real budget, not testing influencer marketing with tiny spends.

Inside Carusele’s way of working

Carusele positions itself as a performance-driven influencer partner. They place heavy emphasis on distribution, data, and making influencer content behave like a measurable media buy.

Services brands typically use

Carusele’s offerings usually sit at the intersection of influencers and paid media. Typical services include:

• Influencer selection and campaign planning
• Content creation around key brand messages
• Syndication and boosting of top-performing content
• A/B testing of posts as ad creative
• Reporting tied to reach, clicks, and sales impact

They often focus on turning influencer posts into a steady stream of optimized ads across social networks.

Approach to campaigns

Campaigns often start with a broad pool of content from multiple creators. Then Carusele uses performance data to identify winners and push those pieces through paid support.

This approach is appealing if your main goal is measurable traffic, store visits, or eCommerce revenue rather than just awareness.

Relationships with creators

Carusele works with a network of influencers across different verticals. While creators may not be exclusive, the agency focuses on repeatable processes for content approval, compliance, and rights for paid amplification.

Creators who perform well in one campaign may be tapped again, giving brands some continuity over time.

Typical client fit

Carusele is often a good fit for brands that:

• Need clear performance reporting tied to business goals
• Plan to invest in paid media behind influencer content
• Want ongoing optimization instead of one-off bursts
• Care less about “fame” of creators and more about results

If leadership is asking for hard numbers from influencer spend, this style of partner can be easier to defend internally.

How these agencies really differ

These two agencies both operate in influencer marketing but prioritize different things. One is often seen as more creative-led, the other more distribution-led.

Focus of the work

Open Influence leans into creative quality, brand storytelling, and curated visuals. Carusele leans into performance, testing, and paid reach.

Both can do strategic planning and reporting, but the center of gravity is different: creative partnership versus performance engine.

Scale and campaign structure

Open Influence is often associated with larger, sometimes global concepts involving a range of creators and formats.

Carusele usually keeps a strong structure around test-and-learn cycles, running many content variations and pushing the best to bigger audiences.

Experience as a client

Your day-to-day experience will reflect these differences. With Open Influence, conversations often revolve around creative ideas, content direction, and brand alignment.

With Carusele, you’re more likely to spend time on performance reports, learning which creators and messages are converting, and shifting spend accordingly.

How success is framed

Both will track views and engagement. But Open Influence may put more weight on brand lift, sentiment, and long-term positioning.

Carusele is more likely to emphasize traffic, sales, or quantifiable outcomes supported by paid amplification and ongoing optimization.

Pricing and engagement style

Neither agency sells simple “packages” like software. Pricing is usually customized around your goals, channels, and campaign length.

How pricing typically works with Open Influence

Open Influence usually works on campaign-based budgets or retainers, depending on how often you plan to run initiatives.

Costs are influenced by factors like:

• Number and size of influencers used
• Content volume and production needs
• Markets and languages covered
• Length of engagement and reporting depth

You’ll likely receive a scoped proposal with fees for management, creator payments, and possible production add-ons.

How pricing typically works with Carusele

Carusele also tends to charge via campaign budgets or ongoing retainers. Their costs typically combine influencer fees, management, and paid distribution.

Key cost drivers often include:

• How much media budget you assign to boosting content
• Number of creators and posts in the mix
• Tracking and reporting requirements
• Campaign duration and optimization cycles

Expect to discuss minimums and recommended media spend, since their approach leans heavily on amplification.

Engagement style

Both agencies are usually hands-on. You may have a dedicated account team, regular check-ins, and structured reviews.

The main difference is often where the conversation centers—creative direction and content planning versus media optimization and performance metrics.

Strengths and limitations

Every agency model comes with tradeoffs. Understanding these helps you avoid mismatched expectations and internal pushback later.

Strengths of Open Influence

• Strong focus on creative quality and visual identity
• Ability to orchestrate complex, multi-market campaigns
• Deep involvement in storytelling and content concepts
• Useful for brands that care about long-term positioning

Many marketers worry their influencer content will look off-brand or low quality; a creative-led agency can reduce that risk.

Limitations of Open Influence

• May feel heavier for brands wanting simple, test campaigns
• Creative ambition can require higher budgets and timelines
• Leadership focused solely on short-term ROI may push back

Strengths of Carusele

• Strong emphasis on measurable performance and optimization
• Integration of influencer content with paid social tactics
• Clear reporting that’s easy to share with finance teams
• Useful when you need to justify every dollar spent

Limitations of Carusele

• Performance-first approach may feel less “brand led” to some teams
• Heavy reliance on paid media may not suit tiny budgets
• Campaigns may feel more like advertising and less like organic buzz

Who each agency is best for

Both partners can deliver results, but they fit different priorities and internal realities. Thinking honestly about your needs will help you choose wisely.

When Open Influence tends to be a better match

• You’re building or refreshing brand identity across social channels.
• You want visually cohesive stories across multiple creators and markets.
• Your leadership values brand equity alongside performance.
• You can commit decent budget and longer planning cycles.

This path suits brands in categories like beauty, fashion, lifestyle, travel, or premium consumer goods where aesthetics matter a lot.

When Carusele tends to be a better match

• You’re under pressure to prove short-term performance.
• You’re comfortable pairing influencers with paid media budgets.
• You want ongoing test-and-learn cycles, not just one splash.
• Your internal team speaks the language of ROAS and conversions.

This tends to fit retailers, CPG brands, and eCommerce-driven businesses where promotions and direct response play a big role.

When a platform alternative may fit better

Not every brand is ready or willing to commit to full-service agency retainers. Some teams prefer to keep strategy in-house and just need better tools.

In those cases, a platform like Flinque can be more practical. It’s designed to help brands handle influencer discovery, outreach, and campaign tracking without fully outsourcing everything.

You still manage relationships and creative direction, but the software streamlines searching for creators, organizing briefs, tracking deliverables, and aggregating results.

This approach can be useful if:

• You have an internal social or brand team with time to manage creators.
• You want more direct control over creator relationships.
• You’re testing influencer marketing before committing to big agency fees.
• You prefer flexible month-to-month tools over long contracts.

The tradeoff is that you take on more work yourself, but with more control and potentially lower ongoing costs.

FAQs

Do these agencies only work with large brands?

Both typically work with brands that have meaningful marketing budgets, but “large” is relative. If you’re planning small tests with very limited funds, a DIY or platform-based setup may be more realistic than a full-service partner.

Can I use my own creators with these agencies?

Many brands come in with a few preferred creators. Most agencies can blend your existing relationships with their network, though they may recommend adjustments based on performance or brand fit.

How long does it take to launch a campaign?

Planning timelines vary, but you should expect several weeks for strategy, creator selection, contracts, and content approvals. Faster launches are possible, yet rush work can limit creator options and creative depth.

Will I retain rights to the influencer content?

Usage rights are negotiated case by case. Agencies usually secure specific rights windows and placements. If you plan to reuse content for ads or long-term campaigns, mention that early so it’s baked into contracts.

How do I know which partner is right for me?

Start with your top priority: brand storytelling or measurable performance. Then consider your budget, timeline, and internal bandwidth. Speak with each agency about recent work and ask for examples that match your goals and constraints.

Making the final call

Choosing between influencer campaign agencies is less about who is “best” and more about who is best for you. Each model serves a different type of marketing leader and business pressure.

If you want cinematic storytelling, cohesive visuals, and a heavy emphasis on brand identity, a creative-led partner like Open Influence usually fits better.

If you’re expected to show clear performance lift and treat influencer content like testable ad creative, a performance-led shop like Carusele often makes more sense.

And if you want to stay close to the work, keep more control in-house, or you’re still testing the waters, exploring a platform like Flinque can give you structure without the full overhead of an agency.

Clarify your goals, budget, and preferred level of involvement first. Then talk candidly with each option about how they would approach your specific challenges, not just generic case studies.

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.