PopShorts vs IMA: What Happened to IMA
One of these is not a live option. Since the 2019 merger there has been no IMA to engage, only Monks. PopShorts is the side you can actually brief.
Which one is right for you
Three buyers, three picks. Find the column that sounds like your team.
Choose PopShorts if
- You want US video-led social campaigns
- You work in entertainment or consumer brands
- You want a creative in-house production team
Look up IMA if
- You are researching what happened to IMA
- You want to be pointed at Monks instead
- You are checking whether IMA still trades
Choose Flinque if
- You want to find and vet creators yourself with no sales call
- You want flat published pricing you can start free
- You want to run discovery in-house, not hire an agency
PopShorts vs IMA vs Flinque
The factors below are set out for both. Only PopShorts is a live option. IMA stopped being a hireable brand in 2019, when MediaMonks merged with it. Flinque is the flat-price software option on the right.
| Factor | PopShorts | IMA | Best valueFlinque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Brands wanting US video-led campaigns | Not available, brand retired | Teams running discovery in-house |
| Agency type | Social and video activation boutique | Full-service agency, part of Monks | Self-serve software, not an agency |
| Engagement model | Managed, project based | Managed, retainer or project | Flat monthly subscription |
| Typical minimum | Not established (services page checked Sep 2026) | Not established (Monks page checked Sep 2026) | Free, then $49/mo |
| Published pricing | No | None, nor any at Monks | $0 to $150/mo, public |
| Creator network | Small in-house team, CreatorIQ tech | Network of around 40,000 influencers | 10M+ verified, 200 data points each |
| Platforms covered | Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, X | Multi-platform, global | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X |
| Services | Video activation and creator campaigns | Influencer strategy plus global production | Discovery, vetting and audience data |
| Campaign management | fully managed | fully managed | You run it, software assists |
| Content and usage rights | Per campaign | Per campaign | You negotiate directly with creators |
| Paid amplification | Part of campaigns | Part of integrated campaigns | Run your own whitelisting |
| Measurement and reporting | Data-first, award-winning work | Not available | Audience and fake-follower data built in |
| Team and locations | US, multiple offices; founded 2013 | Amsterdam, until 2019 | Software with support included |
| Time to launch | After scoping | After scoping | Shortlist in minutes on the free plan |
How we compared: Engagement models and minimums come from each agency's own site plus public reporting and client reviews, cross-checked and dated June 2026. Where an agency hides its pricing we say undisclosed rather than guess a number. The verdicts are ours, not the agencies'.
What each agency actually does
What is PopShorts
PopShorts is the creative boutique in this pairing. Founded in 2013 and led by CEO Adam Gausepohl, it built a name on social video activation, pairing in-house production with influencer distribution for entertainment and consumer brands. The client list leans Hollywood and big-brand: Disney, NBC, ABC, Sony, Hulu, Lionsgate, plus Geico, Chase and Nordstrom. It has been a four-time Shorty Award finalist and an ADDY winner, running data-first with CreatorIQ as its tech layer.
Crucially it is small and unfunded, a boutique that trades scale for craft and senior attention, working across Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and X. Pricing was not established from its services page (checked September 2026); the work is project-based and managed. Set against IMA, PopShorts is the nimble US creative shop with strong video chops, not a continental machine. IMA is not a live option, so it cannot be weighed against PopShorts on this point. Brands that would sooner run their own creator search have a third option.
What PopShorts does well
- Strong social video and production craft
- Marquee entertainment and consumer clients
- Award-recognised, data-first approach
- Senior, boutique-level attention
Where it falls short
- Small and unfunded, limited scale
- Pricing not established from its services page (checked Sep 2026)
- US-centric, not multi-market
- Managed only, no self-serve search
What IMA was
The merger with S4 Capital's MediaMonks was announced in August 2019. A reader arriving on this name should know IMA is not a supplier you can appoint. The record is clear: the old domain now lands on Monks, while monks.com/ima is a 404.
The category mix was broad, from fashion and beauty to automotive and travel. Its own billing at the merger was Europe's largest agency of its kind. At the merger S4 Capital put the network at 40,000 influencers and the team at 85 digital experts.
The 40,000 figure describes pre-merger IMA in 2019 and must not be read as a current Monks number. Monks is where the work went.
What IMA was known for
- Founded 2010 by Emilie Tabor and Maddie Raedts
- A network S4 Capital put at 40,000 influencers in 2019
- A matchmaking platform of its own
- Fashion and beauty campaign work
Why it is not a live option
- The Monks page never uses the name
- Every figure on record is dated 2019
- No current client list exists under it
- monks.com/ima returns a 404
Head to head
This pairing needs a caveat before the detail. What a searcher needs to know first is that IMA is a name with no business behind it. Two checks settle it: the agency's own domain forwards to Monks and no IMA-branded page survives anywhere on it. It merged into MediaMonks in August 2019. Only PopShorts can take a brief, so the question worth answering is what became of IMA.
Which should you actually pick
Forget the pitch decks for a second. Match the partner to the situation you are in.
You are checking on IMA
IMA cannot be assessed here, because it is not a business you can engage.
→ Read the historyYou want to run discovery yourself
No scoping call, no retainer. You want to search 10M+ verified creators with a fake-follower check on each. Start free on Flinque and pay $49 only if you keep using it.
→ Pick FlinqueYou are new to influencer marketing
Set against PopShorts, IMA has nothing current to offer on this point. Flinque free plan lets you find and vet verified creators with no card, then scales at a flat $49 a month.
→ Start with FlinqueFlinque: verified discovery at a flat price
If both feel like too much retainer and too little control, Flinque does one job and does it well. Find and vet real creators yourself, fast, then run the campaign in-house. No pitch deck, no monthly retainer, no discovery call to learn the price.
- 10M+ verified creators
- 4 platforms: IG, YouTube, TikTok, X
- 200 data points per creator
- 12 search filters
- Fake-follower check on every profile
- Free, $49, $150, published
See Flinque in action
Short walkthroughs on pricing, discovery and vetting from the Flinque team.
What Are Influencer Networks? Why Most Brands Pick the Wrong Creators
Influencer Discovery Platforms That We Made Easy and Affordable
Common questions about PopShorts and IMA
What is the difference between PopShorts and IMA?
Who are PopShorts' clients?
Is IMA still independent?
Which is better for video campaigns?
How big is IMA?
Do they publish pricing?
Can either help me find creators myself?
Is there a software alternative to both?
Written & reviewed by Flinque Research Team
Influencer Marketing Research · View team →
Our research team specialises in influencer marketing strategy, creator analytics and platform comparisons. Details on this page were verified against agency sites, public reporting and client review platforms in June 2026.
Disclaimer: Information here is collected from publicly available sources, third-party review sites and vendor pages. Pricing and features change, so confirm current details with each provider before buying. This content is for informational purposes only.
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