Why brands look at different influencer agencies
When marketers weigh up Open Influence and House of Marketers, they’re usually looking for clear answers on fit, pricing style, and campaign results. Both are influencer marketing agencies, but they help brands in different ways and at different levels of scale.
You might be trying to choose one agency, build a shortlist, or simply understand how global influencer marketing services actually work behind the scenes. This walk‑through focuses on what each agency does day to day, how they work with creators, and which kind of brands they tend to suit best.
Table of Contents
- What each agency is known for
- Open Influence in simple terms
- House of Marketers in simple terms
- How the two agencies really differ
- Pricing approach and ways of working
- Strengths and limitations of each
- Who each agency is best suited for
- When a platform like Flinque might be better
- FAQs
- Conclusion: choosing the right partner
- Disclaimer
What each agency is known for
Both agencies sit in the same broad space, but they built their reputations slightly differently. Understanding those roots helps you see why their services feel distinct today.
In very loose terms, Open Influence is often associated with wide, multi‑platform influencer programs. House of Marketers is commonly linked to social‑first and especially TikTok‑led work with a performance mindset.
Here’s a high‑level snapshot of how most marketers describe them:
- Open Influence – full‑service influencer campaigns across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more, with strong creative production and global reach.
- House of Marketers – social and creator campaigns with a strong TikTok heritage, short‑form video focus, and growth‑oriented tactics.
Both handle strategy, creator sourcing, briefing, content review, posting coordination, and reporting. Where they diverge is in scale, channel mix, and how deeply they lean into creative versus performance.
Open Influence in simple terms
Open Influence is a long‑standing influencer agency that works with global brands across many verticals. Think consumer products, beauty, fashion, tech, entertainment, and more.
They position themselves as a creative partner that can handle everything from initial concept to final reporting, pulling in large networks of creators worldwide.
Services and campaign approach
Open Influence tends to act as a full extension of a brand’s marketing team. Instead of just connecting you with creators, they usually design the whole program.
Typical services include:
- Influencer strategy across multiple social channels.
- Creator discovery and shortlisting based on audience, style, and brand fit.
- Creative concepting and storytelling for campaigns and always‑on activity.
- Contracting, negotiation, and usage rights management.
- Content review and feedback coordination.
- Reporting and insights after the campaign wraps.
Their work often spans several regions and platforms at once. For example, a product launch might run simultaneously on Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, backed by paid media support.
Creator relationships and talent access
Open Influence has access to a broad network of creators, from micro influencers to established names. They typically build campaign‑specific rosters rather than forcing brands into a small in‑house talent list.
This is helpful when you want diverse representation or niche categories. You can tap into food, fitness, gaming, parenting, and more, without being limited to one influencer type.
Typical client fit
Open Influence often works with mid‑market and enterprise brands that need structure and scale. That could mean global consumer goods, entertainment studios, tech companies, or lifestyle brands expanding into new regions.
They tend to fit marketers who want a strong creative partner, measurable results, but also high production quality and brand safety guardrails.
House of Marketers in simple terms
House of Marketers is best known for its TikTok expertise and short‑form content strength. They work with brands that want growth through social, using creators as the engine.
The agency leans into performance‑oriented work, often aiming for app installs, sign‑ups, or revenue rather than only reach or awareness.
Services and campaign approach
This agency usually focuses on fast‑moving, social‑native campaigns. Instead of big, slow, TV‑style shoots, they emphasize nimble content tailored for TikTok and similar platforms.
Services you might see advertised include:
- TikTok and short‑form video strategy.
- Influencer sourcing with strong platform knowledge.
- Creative briefs designed for quick‑fire, snackable content.
- Coordination of posting schedules and hashtag tactics.
- Iterative optimization based on early performance data.
- Integration with paid social to amplify top‑performing videos.
Their projects usually prioritize strong hooks, trends, and sounds that work with current algorithm behavior, especially for consumer apps, ecommerce, and digital products.
Creator relationships and platform focus
House of Marketers leans heavily into TikTok creators, plus Instagram Reels and sometimes YouTube Shorts. Their relationships tend to revolve around creators who understand meme culture and rapid content cycles.
That makes them attractive to brands targeting Gen Z or younger millennials. They help marketers avoid content that feels like an old TV ad cut down for mobile.
Typical client fit
Their portfolio commonly features apps, direct‑to‑consumer brands, and fast‑growing online businesses. These brands often care deeply about direct results such as sign‑ups, purchases, or CPA.
If you want agile campaigns, test‑and‑learn structures, and quick turnarounds, this type of agency setup can work well.
How the two agencies really differ
On the surface, both handle influencer strategy, creator outreach, and campaign management. The real difference lies in focus, channel mix, and style of execution.
Channel focus and creative style
Open Influence tends to spread across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and sometimes other channels like Snapchat or blogs. Content can include polished videos, photography, and narrative storytelling campaigns.
House of Marketers leans toward short‑form video, trends, and creator‑led storytelling that feels native to TikTok and other vertical video platforms.
Scale and geographic reach
Open Influence is typically structured to handle larger, multi‑country rollouts. This appeals to global brands launching in many markets at once.
House of Marketers can also operate across regions but often highlights specific markets and social platforms where they’ve built deeper expertise and performance know‑how.
Performance versus storytelling balance
Both agencies care about results, but the emphasis can differ. Open Influence often blends brand storytelling with measurable outcomes, especially for awareness and consideration.
House of Marketers frequently emphasizes growth metrics, performance campaigns, and creative designed around quick tests and data‑driven optimization.
Client experience and collaboration style
With Open Influence, you may get more traditional account structures, layered creative support, and deeply produced concepts that align with brand guidelines.
With House of Marketers, you’re more likely to experience rapid creative cycles, frequent testing, and content that evolves quickly with platform trends.
Pricing approach and engagement style
Both agencies price their work around campaign scope rather than fixed software tiers. Costs are shaped by how many creators you use, how many markets you run in, and how long activity runs.
How agencies usually charge
Agencies in this space typically blend several elements into a custom quote:
- Agency fees for strategy, management, and reporting.
- Influencer fees based on creator size, usage rights, and deliverables.
- Production or editing costs for higher‑quality content.
- Paid media budgets if content is boosted or whitelisted.
- Retainers for long‑term, always‑on creator programs.
Expect back‑and‑forth discussion on campaign scope before you receive a final number. Neither agency usually publishes fixed public pricing, because each project is different.
Engagement style and minimums
Open Influence often fits brands able to commit to meaningful budgets across several creators or regions. You might engage them for a product launch, seasonal push, or long‑term brand program.
House of Marketers may work with brands that want clear performance targets and are ready to test creative rapidly, sometimes with multiple waves of content in short bursts.
In both cases, it’s normal to see minimum campaign budgets, though exact levels aren’t typically public. The more complex your requirements, the higher the likely minimum.
Strengths and limitations of each
No agency is perfect for every brand. Understanding the pros and cons helps you set realistic expectations and choose the right partner for your stage and budget.
Where Open Influence tends to shine
- Strong at multi‑platform campaigns that need consistent storytelling.
- Good for brands that need high production values and careful brand protection.
- Comfortable working with larger internal teams and other agencies.
- Can support multi‑market launches and complex creator mixes.
Many marketers worry whether their internal brand rules will be respected; Open Influence usually emphasizes process and review to keep things on track.
Where Open Influence may feel less ideal
- Not always the best fit for very small budgets or one‑off tests.
- Processes can feel heavier if you want ultra‑fast, scrappy experiments.
- May lean more toward big idea campaigns than constant micro‑tests.
Where House of Marketers tends to shine
- Deep focus on TikTok and short‑form video performance.
- Good for brands chasing growth metrics such as app installs or sales.
- Comfortable moving quickly with trends, sounds, and memes.
- Helps brands avoid content that feels like repurposed TV ads.
Where House of Marketers may feel less ideal
- Less focused on long‑form storytelling across many channels.
- Short‑form, trend‑driven style may feel too casual for some luxury brands.
- Best results often require trust in rapid testing, which not all teams enjoy.
Who each agency is best suited for
Rather than asking which agency is “better,” it’s usually more useful to ask which one fits your stage, category, and expectations.
Best fit scenarios for Open Influence
- Established brands needing large, cross‑channel campaigns with many creators.
- Companies launching products across several countries or regions.
- Marketing teams that value structured processes and polished creative.
- Brands where legal, brand safety, and compliance are major concerns.
Best fit scenarios for House of Marketers
- Apps and digital products looking for installs or sign‑ups from social.
- DTC and ecommerce brands wanting quick feedback from short‑form content.
- Teams that like rapid testing, trend‑based hooks, and performance tweaks.
- Brands targeting younger audiences who live on TikTok and similar platforms.
Questions to ask yourself before choosing
- Is your main goal reach, storytelling, or direct response performance?
- Do you need many markets and channels, or just one hero platform?
- How comfortable are you with fast, experimental creative cycles?
- What level of internal sign‑off and review do you require?
When a platform like Flinque might be better
Not every brand needs a full‑service influencer agency. For some teams, a platform‑based model makes more sense, especially when internal marketers want more hands‑on control.
Why some brands choose platforms
Tools such as Flinque give you software to find creators, manage outreach, and track campaigns, without paying a large agency retainer. Your team runs the playbook; the platform gives you data and workflow support.
This can suit brands that:
- Have in‑house marketers with time to manage creators directly.
- Want to build long‑term creator relationships themselves.
- Prefer recurring software costs over variable agency fees.
- Need flexibility to test many small campaigns without formal scopes.
The trade‑off is that you take on more day‑to‑day work: writing briefs, negotiating, and coordinating content. For lean teams, that may be a stretch. For hands‑on marketers, it can be a plus.
FAQs
How do I know if I’m ready for an influencer agency?
You’re usually ready when you have a clear target audience, specific goals, and enough budget to work with several creators. If you’re still testing your offer, a smaller pilot or platform might be wiser before committing to a full agency partnership.
Can I work with both agencies at the same time?
Some large brands split work across agencies by market or channel, but this adds coordination overhead. If you consider this, be clear about who owns which platform, region, and goals to avoid overlapping outreach or mixed messaging with creators.
How long does it take to see results from influencer campaigns?
Awareness and engagement lift can appear within days of content going live. Sales or installs usually need several weeks of sustained activity and optimization. Plan at least one to three months to judge performance fairly, especially for new markets or audiences.
What should I share in a brief to these agencies?
Share your goals, target audience, key markets, budget range, timelines, and past learnings. Include brand guidelines, dos and don’ts, and examples of content you like. The clearer your inputs, the better agencies can shape strategies and realistic proposals.
Are influencer agencies only for big brands?
No, but they are usually most cost‑effective for brands with meaningful budgets. Smaller companies can still benefit, yet they may find more value in niche agencies, short pilot projects, or influencer platforms where they can control spend more tightly.
Conclusion: choosing the right partner
Your choice between these agencies should come down to goals, budget, and how you like to work. If you want broad, multi‑platform storytelling at scale, Open Influence is often a strong contender.
If your focus is TikTok‑style growth and performance‑driven short‑form content, House of Marketers may feel more aligned. For teams that prefer in‑house control, a platform like Flinque can replace or complement agency support.
Start by clarifying your goals, audience, and decision timeline. Then speak with each option, compare how they’d run your campaign, and choose the partner whose approach and expectations match your own.
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.
Jan 06,2026
