Open Influence vs Pulse Advertising

Why brands compare influencer marketing agencies

When you start looking at influencer marketing partners, two names pop up often: Open Influence and Pulse Advertising. Both work with big brands, social creators, and large media budgets, which can make choosing between them feel confusing.

Most marketers want to know who will really move the needle, who understands their industry, and what day‑to‑day collaboration will feel like. You’re also likely wondering how these agencies treat creators, what kind of content they’re good at, and what level of support you’ll get from their teams.

This page is designed to give you clear, practical insight into how each agency operates so you can decide which one matches your goals, budget, and preferred way of working.

What “global influencer marketing agency” really means

The primary idea here is “global influencer marketing agency.” In practice, that usually means a mix of creative strategy, access to vetted creators, hands‑on campaign management, and paid media support across several countries and platforms.

For you, that translates into fewer moving parts to manage in‑house, stronger creator relationships, and campaigns that can run across regions with some level of local nuance.

What each agency is known for

Both agencies sit in the premium end of the influencer space, and both position themselves as partners to big consumer brands rather than small one‑off projects. Still, there are differences in flavor and emphasis.

How Open Influence is generally perceived

Open Influence is often associated with polished, content‑driven campaigns across major social platforms. They lean heavily into creative storytelling, data‑backed creator selection, and a strong production focus for photo and video.

They are seen as a fit for brands that want more than simple shoutouts. Think full campaign concepts, usage rights planning, content reuse, and measurable performance tied to brand or sales goals.

How Pulse Advertising is generally perceived

Pulse Advertising is widely linked to lifestyle, fashion, travel, and premium consumer brands. Much of their work highlights visually striking content, aspirational creators, and large reach across Europe, North America, and beyond.

They often position themselves as storytellers at the intersection of brands and culture, with a strong focus on social‑first storytelling that feels native to platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Inside Open Influence’s way of working

Core services and campaign support

Open Influence typically focuses on end‑to‑end influencer campaigns rather than just talent sourcing. Their support often includes:

• Campaign strategy and creative concepts
• Influencer discovery and vetting
• Content briefing and approvals
• Legal and contract management
• Campaign reporting and insights

For many brands, this means they can hand off most of the heavy lifting while still setting clear goals and guardrails.

Approach to creators and content

Open Influence tends to lean into structured campaign workflows. Creators usually receive clear briefs, content guidelines, and approval steps, especially for regulated categories like finance, health, or alcohol.

At the same time, the agency still needs to leave enough freedom for creators to sound like themselves, which is often where the best performance comes from.

Typical client fit for Open Influence

From publicly visible work, Open Influence usually matches well with:

• Mid‑market to enterprise brands with ongoing social budgets
• Marketers who want strong reporting and ROI framing
• Brands that care about content reuse across paid, organic, and site
• Teams that value structure, process, and reliable timelines

If you need consistent content production paired with performance goals, this style of agency can feel very reassuring.

Inside Pulse Advertising’s way of working

Core services and campaign support

Pulse Advertising also offers full‑service influencer campaign management, often bundled with broader social and creative help. Their services typically include:

• Campaign ideation and moodboarding
• Creator sourcing and casting
• Influencer relationship management
• Content coordination and scheduling
• Campaign analysis and recaps

This makes them a natural choice for visually‑led launches, product drops, and brand moments where culture and aesthetics matter.

Approach to creators and style

Pulse Advertising tends to emphasize lifestyle storytelling and aspirational visuals. Their campaigns often highlight travel, fashion, beauty, or luxury‑adjacent moments and lean into creators whose feeds already look like mini editorials.

Brands that want to feel culturally relevant or premium often see this as a key advantage.

Typical client fit for Pulse Advertising

Based on their public presence, Pulse Advertising often fits best with:

• Fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle brands
• Marketers focused on reach, buzz, and social presence
• Brands looking for visually strong, aspirational content
• Teams comfortable with bold, trend‑driven creative

If you care most about social footprint, aesthetics, and brand love, this approach can feel very aligned.

How these agencies truly differ

The differences between these two agencies are more about nuance than basic services. Both run influencer campaigns. Both manage creators. Both report on performance. The real distinctions show up in focus, style, and working rhythm.

Differences in creative focus

Open Influence often emphasizes structured storytelling that ties clearly back to brand or performance outcomes. They may place more weight on measurable impact and content that can be repurposed beyond social.

Pulse Advertising often leads with lifestyle storytelling, leaning into aspirational visuals, cultural timing, and social buzz. Their wins are frequently seen in brand awareness, desirability, and social presence.

Differences in geography and scale

Both have global footprints, but market strength can differ by region. One may be stronger in certain European markets, while the other has deeper roots in North America.

If your campaign depends heavily on one region, it’s worth asking each agency for local case studies to see where they truly shine.

Differences in client experience

In practice, the experience you have with any agency depends heavily on the specific team you work with. Still, there are broad tendencies to expect.

Open Influence may feel more like a structured marketing partner focused on performance. Pulse Advertising may feel more like a creative storyteller focused on brand perception and culture.

Pricing approach and engagement style

Neither agency is typically set up like a self‑serve tool with public, fixed pricing. Instead, they tend to quote based on your goals, timing, and scale. Several factors usually drive costs.

What usually affects cost

• Number and size of creators you want to work with
• Platforms used (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc.)
• Markets and languages covered
• Content rights and how long you want to reuse assets
• Level of reporting, testing, and optimization

Budgets often include both creator fees and agency management fees, either bundled together or broken out line by line.

Engagement styles you can expect

Both agencies may work on campaign‑based projects or ongoing retainers. For single campaigns, you usually agree on a one‑time budget covering a clear scope of work and timeline.

For always‑on influencer activity, a monthly retainer plus a rolling creator budget is more common, especially for brands doing multiple launches a year.

Strengths and limitations to keep in mind

Where Open Influence often stands out

• Strong focus on matching content to brand and performance goals
• Structured processes for approvals, compliance, and reporting
• Useful when you need content for both organic and paid use
• Comfortable working with larger, more complex organizations

Some brands quietly worry that too much structure might limit creator authenticity, so it’s worth clarifying how flexible briefs can be.

Where Pulse Advertising often stands out

• Visually impressive, lifestyle‑first content
• Strong focus on aspirational storytelling and social buzz
• Helpful for launches, events, and brand moments
• Experience with fashion, beauty, travel, and premium goods

Brands sometimes wonder whether heavy emphasis on visuals will translate into sales, not just likes and comments.

Common limitations with both

• Premium fees compared with smaller agencies or DIY approaches
• Less flexibility for tiny budgets or last‑minute tests
• Campaign timelines that require planning ahead
• Potential for misalignment if briefs are not clear from day one

As with any agency, the key is transparent scoping, clear KPIs, and realistic expectations from both sides.

Who each agency is best for

When Open Influence is likely a better fit

• You want influencer work tied tightly to performance or sales.
• You need repeatable campaign structures and strong reporting.
• Your legal or compliance needs are complex.
• You plan to reuse content in paid social, CRM, or landing pages.

When Pulse Advertising is likely a better fit

• Your priority is brand image, lifestyle storytelling, and awareness.
• You operate in fashion, beauty, travel, or other visual categories.
• You want eye‑catching, culture‑driven social content.
• You’re planning big launches, events, or brand campaigns.

Questions to ask yourself before choosing

• Is my main goal awareness, content creation, or measurable sales?
• How much control do I want over which creators we work with?
• Do I prefer structured processes or looser, creative workflows?
• What regions and platforms truly matter for this year’s goals?

Once you’re clear on these points, it becomes much easier to see whether either agency is the right long‑term partner.

When a platform like Flinque may make more sense

For some brands, a full‑service agency is ideal. For others, it can feel heavy or expensive, especially if you already have in‑house marketing talent. That’s where self‑serve platforms can play a different role.

How a platform approach differs

Flinque, for instance, is not an agency but a platform designed to help brands discover creators, manage campaigns, and track performance directly. Instead of paying agency retainers, you keep more control in‑house.

This model can appeal to teams that like testing, rapid iteration, and building their own long‑term creator relationships.

When a platform might be the smarter choice

• You have internal marketers who can brief, manage, and negotiate.
• Your budget is more experimental or spread across many small tests.
• You want to build a private “bench” of recurring creators.
• You prefer using tools over relying on external account teams.

You may still hire agencies for large, high‑stakes launches while using a platform for always‑on or smaller efforts.

FAQs

Do I need a global influencer marketing agency or a local one?

If most of your sales come from one country, a strong local partner may be enough. If you sell across several regions, a global agency with local expertise usually helps keep messaging consistent yet relevant.

How long does it take to launch a campaign with these agencies?

Timelines vary, but many campaigns take several weeks from briefing to first posts. Creator selection, contracts, content reviews, and approvals all add time, especially for regulated industries or multi‑market work.

Can I choose the specific creators the agency works with?

Typically yes. Agencies will recommend a shortlist of creators based on your goals, and you give final approvals. It’s helpful to share clear preferences on audience, tone, and content style at the briefing stage.

How do these agencies measure success?

They’ll usually track reach, impressions, engagement, content output, and sometimes clicks or conversions. For e‑commerce or app brands, they can often integrate tracking links or codes to tie results back to sales.

Are influencer agencies suitable for smaller brands?

They can be, but fees and minimum budgets may be high for very small brands. If your budget is limited, consider a smaller specialist shop or a platform that lets you manage a few creators directly.

Conclusion: choosing the right partner

Your choice between these two agencies should come down to what you want most from influencer marketing in the next 12 to 24 months. Think beyond one campaign and consider the kind of relationship you want to build.

If structured, performance‑minded campaigns and scalable content matter most, a partner like Open Influence may feel right. If you’re leaning into lifestyle storytelling and aspirational brand building, Pulse Advertising might be your better match.

And if you’d rather keep control in‑house while using software to streamline work, a platform such as Flinque can be a useful alternative or complement. The best path is the one that fits your goals, budget, and internal capacity today, with room to grow tomorrow.

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.