Sway Group vs Veritone One

Why brands weigh influencer agency options

When marketers look at Sway Group vs Veritone One, they are usually trying to find the best partner for long term influencer marketing services that can actually move the needle for their brand, not just deliver posts and vanity metrics.

You might be asking questions like: Who really understands my audience? Who has the right creator relationships? Who can handle my budget and goals without wasting time or money?

This breakdown focuses on how each agency works, the types of campaigns they run, and what kind of brand usually gets the most value out of each partnership.

What these agencies are known for
Sway Group in plain language
Veritone One in plain language
How their approaches really differ
Pricing approach and engagement style
Strengths and limitations for each agency
Who each agency is best suited for
When a platform like Flinque makes more sense
FAQs
Conclusion: choosing the right path
Disclaimer

What these agencies are known for

The primary keyword here is “influencer marketing services,” because that is what both agencies ultimately sell to brands that need help with creator driven campaigns.

Both Sway Group and Veritone One are full service influencer marketing partners, but they grew up in different corners of the advertising world and hold different strengths because of that.

In broad strokes, Sway Group is known for its deep relationships with social creators and bloggers, while Veritone One has roots in audio, podcast, and media driven performance campaigns.

Sway Group in plain language

Sway Group is an influencer marketing agency that leans heavily into curated talent relationships and hands on campaign management across social channels like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and blogs.

They often work with brands that want storytelling content, brand safe creators, and coordinated campaigns that feel natural rather than scripted or overly polished.

Sway Group services and focus areas

Sway Group typically offers end to end influencer campaign support rather than just introductions to creators. They tend to focus on:

Influencer sourcing, vetting, and contracting
Campaign strategy and creative direction
Content briefs and approvals with brand safety in mind
Multi post social campaigns, including TikTok and Instagram Reels
Blog content and long form storytelling when needed
Campaign reporting and results analysis

Their work usually centers around storytelling and engagement rather than only short term performance metrics.

How Sway Group runs campaigns

Sway Group typically builds a custom influencer roster for each campaign based on the brand’s audience, budget, and goals. They may suggest a mix of macro, mid tier, and micro creators to balance reach and cost.

The process often includes detailed briefs, review cycles, and coordination across creators so that posts align but still feel authentic to each personality.

Sway Group tends to stay actively involved throughout the campaign, handling logistics, timelines, creator communication, and reporting so the brand team can stay focused on bigger marketing decisions.

Sway Group creator relationships

Because Sway Group has long standing relationships with many creators, they can quickly match brands with influencers who understand family, lifestyle, food, parenting, or consumer categories.

This network can help when a brand needs content that feels genuine rather than transactional, or when campaigns must navigate sensitive topics like parenting, wellness, or personal finance.

Typical Sway Group client fit

Sway Group often works well for brands that care about tone, message, and brand alignment at least as much as raw impressions. Categories can include:

Consumer packaged goods and household brands
Parenting and family focused companies
Food, beverage, and recipe driven products
Lifestyle, home, and everyday retail
Some healthcare, wellness, or financial education brands

They are generally a better fit for marketers who want an extension of their team, not a quick one off boost.

Veritone One in plain language

Veritone One is a full service agency known for combining influencer marketing with audio, podcast, and performance based advertising. They sit at the intersection of influencer, media buying, and measurement.

The agency often works with brands that are heavily focused on measurable growth, especially through podcasts, endorsements, and creator driven performance campaigns.

Veritone One services and focus areas

While offerings can evolve, Veritone One has traditionally been recognized for:

Podcast and radio host reads and sponsorships
Influencer partnerships across YouTube and social channels
Media planning and buying connected to creator campaigns
Performance tracking and optimization
Creative iteration based on response and conversions

They lean into measurable impact, often tying influencer programs closely to direct response or performance marketing goals.

How Veritone One runs campaigns

Veritone One tends to start with a clear performance outcome, such as sign ups, trials, installs, or sales. They then build campaigns across podcasts, social creators, or both.

The agency usually handles host matching, negotiation, creative guidance, and tracking. In performance environments, they may rotate messaging or placements to improve results.

Because of their media roots, they often look at influencer and audio like interchangeable levers that can be adjusted to reach targets.

Veritone One creator and host relationships

Veritone One has built strong ties with podcast hosts and media personalities, especially in tech, business, and direct to consumer categories.

They also work with digital influencers on YouTube, Instagram, and other channels, often focusing on creators whose audiences respond to endorsements and sponsor messages.

This mix can be powerful for brands that want both awareness and measurable performance, particularly in emerging or high growth sectors.

Typical Veritone One client fit

Veritone One often attracts brands that live and die by measurable results and are comfortable testing and scaling campaigns quickly. Common fits include:

Direct to consumer subscription brands
Apps, software, and tech companies
High growth eCommerce brands
Financial services, investing, and fintech products
Health, fitness, and wellness subscriptions

They tend to be a better fit for teams with aggressive growth targets who want to tie influencer spend closely to performance numbers.

How their approaches really differ

On paper, both agencies offer influencer marketing services, but their heritage and core strengths create meaningful differences in how your campaign might feel and perform.

Channel focus and creative style

Sway Group leans more into social storytelling, lifestyle content, and blog or long form coverage, often centered on everyday life, families, and real world product use.

Veritone One tends to shine in podcast host reads, endorsements, and scalable creator campaigns where direct response performance matters as much as brand building.

If your audience spends more time on TikTok and Instagram than in podcast apps, Sway Group may feel more natural. If podcasts and audio are crucial, Veritone One likely brings more experience.

Measurement and performance philosophy

Both agencies care about results, but the style differs. Sway Group often leans into engagement, traffic, and brand lift metrics alongside reach.

Veritone One usually emphasizes detailed performance tracking with a heavier focus on conversions, cost efficiency, and iterative optimization, especially in audio and direct response channels.

Neither approach is automatically better. It depends on whether your main goal is brand love, measurable sales, or a mix of both.

Client experience and communication style

Sway Group’s process usually feels like a hands on, high touch partnership where strategy and creator fit are heavily discussed upfront. You may spend more time shaping storytelling and voice.

Veritone One can feel more like working with a performance media team that also manages creators. Expect more emphasis on tests, pacing, and scaling winners.

Your internal culture matters here. Some teams love performance heavy collaboration, while others prefer slower, brand first creative build outs.

Pricing approach and engagement style

Both agencies typically charge custom fees rather than public, rigid packages. Pricing can vary widely based on scope, volume, and complexity.

Common pricing structures

In most cases, you can expect some combination of:

Campaign based budgets with management fees baked in
Creator fees passed through or marked up, depending on structure
Retainer style arrangements for ongoing support
Additional costs for strategy, creative direction, or extra reporting

Neither agency usually prices like a software platform. Most work is scoped to the brand’s goals, channels, and campaign length.

What drives costs higher or lower

Several factors have a major impact on final costs regardless of which partner you choose:

Number and size of creators involved
Platforms used, such as TikTok, YouTube, or podcasts
Content rights, whitelisting, and paid amplification
Timeline and complexity of approvals
Need for testing, creative variations, or multiple waves

*Many marketers underestimate how much content rights and paid usage can add to influencer budgets, especially with larger creators.*

Engagement style over time

If you work with Sway Group over multiple campaigns, you may see more cohesive storytelling and recurring creator relationships, which can improve authenticity and performance.

With Veritone One, long term work often looks like building a steady mix of hosts and creators who drive results, then scaling those partnerships over time.

In both cases, the longer you work together, the easier it becomes for the agency to predict what will resonate with your audience.

Strengths and limitations for each agency

No agency is perfect for every brand. Understanding strengths and trade offs usually leads to better decisions and smoother partnerships.

Sway Group strengths

Deep relationships with lifestyle, family, and everyday creators
Strong focus on authentic storytelling and alignment with brand voice
Hands on support for brands that want close collaboration
Experience with multi creator social campaigns and blog content

Sway Group limitations

May feel slower if you are used to aggressive performance testing
Strengths are less geared toward audio first or podcast heavy strategies
Best fit tends to be consumer and lifestyle brands rather than niche B2B

Veritone One strengths

Strong experience in podcasts, audio, and host read endorsements
Performance mindset well suited for growth and direct response brands
Ability to blend media buying with influencer campaigns
Useful for brands that want measurable conversions tied to spend

Veritone One limitations

Approach can feel more transactional if you seek deep brand storytelling
Audio first strengths may not match a purely visual social strategy
Not every brand is ready for heavy performance pressure or rapid testing

*A common concern for many brands is whether an agency will treat them as a true partner or just another campaign in the queue.*

Who each agency is best suited for

Your ideal partner depends on your audience, growth stage, and the role influencer content plays in your larger marketing mix.

When Sway Group is usually a better fit

You sell everyday products to families, parents, or lifestyle focused shoppers.
You care deeply about brand voice, storytelling, and long term relationships.
Your main channels are Instagram, TikTok, blogs, and sometimes YouTube.
You want an agency to manage creator details end to end.
Success includes engagement, sentiment, and content quality, not just sales.

When Veritone One is usually a better fit

You rely heavily on podcasts, audio, or host endorsements.
Your leadership expects clear performance metrics tied to spend.
You run or plan to run direct response campaigns across multiple channels.
You are ready to test, optimize, and scale based on data.
Your category leans into tech, finance, subscriptions, or high growth eCommerce.

When a platform like Flinque makes more sense

Some brands want influencer marketing services but do not feel ready for agency retainers or fully managed partnerships. In those cases, a platform based approach can be attractive.

Flinque is one example of a platform that lets brands discover creators, manage campaigns, and track performance with more control and less agency overhead.

This kind of tool can be a good fit if you have an in house marketing team that wants to handle strategy but needs help with search, communication, and organization.

Signs you may prefer a platform

You have limited budget but enough time to manage creators yourself.
You prefer testing influencer marketing in a smaller way before hiring an agency.
Your team wants direct relationships with creators and day to day control.
You are comfortable working inside software rather than delegating everything.

If this sounds like you, exploring a platform such as Flinque could help you learn what works before committing to a larger agency partnership later.

FAQs

Do I need an agency or can I handle influencers in house?

You can manage influencers in house if you have time, creator contacts, and clear processes. Agencies help when you need scale, stronger relationships, risk management, and experienced strategy your team does not yet have.

Which agency is better for small brands just starting out?

Smaller brands often struggle with agency minimums. In early stages, a platform or small test campaign can make more sense. Once you know what works and have budget, either agency can help you scale.

How long should I commit to an influencer agency?

Most brands see better results when they commit for at least several months, if not a full year. Influencer marketing improves with learning, iteration, and recurring creator relationships over time.

Should I focus on podcasts or social media first?

It depends on where your audience spends time and how they buy. Audio works well for commuting and fitness moments, while social platforms drive visual discovery. Many brands eventually use both for different stages of the funnel.

How do I compare agency proposals fairly?

Look beyond cost. Compare proposed strategy, creator fit, content rights, measurement plans, reporting detail, and team experience. Ask how they would handle problems like delays or underperforming creators.

Conclusion: choosing the right path

The best influencer marketing partner for you depends on your channels, budget, and expectations around performance versus storytelling. Neither agency is universally “better”; each shines in different situations.

If social storytelling and lifestyle creators matter most, Sway Group may feel like the right fit. If you are chasing measurable growth through audio and performance driven creator partnerships, Veritone One may be stronger.

For brands that want control and flexibility, a platform like Flinque can bridge the gap, letting you learn and build internal muscle before committing to full service retainers.

Start by defining your real goals, then evaluate each option based on how well they support those outcomes, not just who has the flashiest 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.