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Agency comparison · Updated August 15, 2026

The Digital Dept vs HelloSociety: Which to Pick

One of these is a live agency managing talent and campaigns inside a listed group. The other was a social network that stopped operating years ago. The Digital Dept handles creator representation and influencer marketing under Dolphin Entertainment. HelloSociety was a Santa Monica network acquired by The New York Times that no longer runs. A live talent agency against a closed network.

Short answer: pick The Digital Dept if you want a live talent-management and campaigns firm. Pick HelloSociety only as a historical reference, since it wound down around 2019 to 2020 after the New York Times acquisition. Or pick Flinque if you would rather find and vet creators yourself at a flat price you can start free.
See Flinque pricing
4.9/5 across 2,000+ reviews10M+ verified creatorsUsed by Vodafone, Hyatt and Abbott
The 5-second answer

Which one is right for you

Three buyers, three picks. Find the column that sounds like your team.

Choose The Digital Dept if

  • You want a live talent-management firm
  • You value creator representation and campaigns
  • A backed, operating agency matters to you

Before it wound down, HelloSociety fit if

  • You had wanted a visual-platform network
  • You were active on it before it closed
  • You only need it as background research
Free, no card

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
Side by side

The Digital Dept vs HelloSociety vs Flinque

Fourteen factors across all three, from a live talent-management firm to a wound-down network. Flinque is the flat-price software option on the right.

FactorThe Digital DeptHelloSocietyBest valueFlinque
Best forLive talent and campaignsHistorical reference onlyTeams running discovery in-house
StatusActiveWound down around 2019 to 2020Active
TypeTalent-management and campaignsFormer social influencer networkSelf-serve software
HeadquartersLos Angeles and New YorkSanta Monica, formerlyRemote, serving 25+ countries
OwnershipSubsidiary of Dolphin EntertainmentAcquired by The New York Times, 2016Independent
Formed2023 merger of Be Social and SocialyteEarlier, then wound downNot published
Hireable todayYesNoYes
Reported clientsH&M, Crocs and Keurig Dr PepperNot applicable nowSelf-serve, no client gate
FocusCreator representation and campaignsInstagram, Pinterest and YouTubeDiscovery and vetting
Creator poolRepresented talentA former network10M+ verified creators
Published pricingNoneNoneFree $0, Starter $49, Enterprise $150
Self-serve searchNoNoYes
Free tierNoNoYes, no card
Data per creatorNot publishedNot published200 data points reported

How we compared: Engagement models and minimums come from each agency's own site and 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'.

The detail

What each agency actually does

What is The Digital Dept

LA and NYCTalent managementDolphin-ownedLive

The Digital Dept is a live talent-management and campaigns firm. Working across Los Angeles and New York, it handles creator representation and influencer marketing, formed in a 2023 merger of Be Social and Socialyte and now operating as a subsidiary of Dolphin Entertainment, the listed group. Reported clients like H&M, Crocs and Keurig Dr Pepper mark it as trusted with recognisable brands. For a brand that wants a current agency managing talent and campaigns, that live, backed structure is the reason to look at it.

The trade is that its single headquarters is not clear-cut, since it spans Los Angeles and New York, so confirm which office leads your account. Its focus is talent representation and influencer campaigns rather than broad digital services. That suits a brand wanting managed creator work from an operating, backed agency. Being inside Dolphin can bring resources, though it also means you engage a team within a larger group, which is worth understanding when scoping.

What The Digital Dept does well

  • Live and hireable today
  • Talent representation and campaigns
  • Backed by Dolphin Entertainment
  • Reported clients are recognisable brands

Where it falls short

  • Single headquarters city unclear
  • Not a broad digital-services shop
  • Inside a larger group, confirm the structure
  • No published pricing and no self-serve search

What is HelloSociety

Santa MonicaFormer networkNYT-acquiredClosed

HelloSociety is no longer in business. A Santa Monica agency, it ran a social influencer network across Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube before The New York Times acquired it in 2016, then ceased operating independently around 2019 to 2020. So it is not a firm a brand can engage today. Setting it beside a live agency is really weighing an operating option against a closed one.

In its time, the draw was that visual-platform network, a way to reach audiences on Instagram and Pinterest in particular. That era has passed and the independent business no longer exists, so there is no team to brief and no current portfolio to judge. When HelloSociety shows up on a list, read it as background rather than a candidate. A real campaign needs a working agency, which points to The Digital Dept or another operating option.

What HelloSociety did well

  • Ran a network across Instagram and Pinterest
  • Reached visual-platform audiences at the time
  • Bought by The New York Times in 2016
  • A recognised name in its era

Where it falls short

  • No longer in business
  • Ceased operating around 2019 to 2020
  • Cannot be hired for a campaign
  • No live portfolio to judge

The Digital Dept vs HelloSociety head to head

This comparison is really operating against closed. The Digital Dept is a live firm handling talent representation and influencer campaigns, backed by Dolphin Entertainment, which suits a brand that wants a current, managed creator partner. HelloSociety was a social influencer network that the New York Times acquired in 2016 and that wound down around 2019 to 2020, so it cannot be hired now. If you want a working agency, The Digital Dept fits. If HelloSociety is on your list, it belongs there as background rather than a candidate, since a live campaign needs a live agency.

There is a current, low-cost way to handle the creator side yourself either way. Flinque indexes 10M+ verified creators across 4 platforms, each with a fake-follower score and 200 reported data points, at $0 to start and $49 a month after, so you can find and vet creators on data and add a live talent agency only when the campaign genuinely needs one.

By scenario

Which should you actually pick

Forget the pitch decks for a second. Match the partner to the situation you are in.

You want a live talent agency

You want managed representation and campaigns you can actually hire. That points to The Digital Dept.

→ Pick The Digital Dept

You are researching a closed network

You only need HelloSociety as background, since it wound down years ago. That was HelloSociety.

→ Note HelloSociety

You want to find creators first

On data, before an agency. Flinque reports 200 data points per creator, free to start with no card.

→ Pick Flinque

You want a knowable price

The Digital Dept does not publish pricing and HelloSociety is closed. Flinque is $0 to start and $49 a month.

→ Start with Flinque
A third option

Flinque: 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
Watch

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FAQs

Common questions about The Digital Dept and HelloSociety

What is the difference between The Digital Dept and HelloSociety?
The Digital Dept is a live talent-management and campaigns firm across Los Angeles and New York, formed from the 2023 merger of Be Social and Socialyte and owned by Dolphin Entertainment. HelloSociety was a Santa Monica social network that The New York Times acquired in 2016 and that no longer operates. One is an operating agency. The other is closed, so only one still exists.
Is HelloSociety available to hire?
No. HelloSociety ceased operating independently around 2019 to 2020, after being acquired by The New York Times in 2016, so there is no firm to engage today. If it appears on a shortlist, it belongs there as background rather than a live option. For a current campaign you need an operating agency, which is what rules HelloSociety out between these two.
What did HelloSociety do when it was active?
It ran a social influencer network spanning Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube, useful to brands wanting reach on those visual platforms in its day. That network was its strength before the independent operation wound down. Since then there is no team or current work to assess, so its record is historical rather than something a brand can rely on for a live brief.
Which of these can I actually engage?
The Digital Dept, since it is the one still operating. A brand with a real brief for talent representation or influencer campaigns can hire it, backed by Dolphin Entertainment. HelloSociety is a wound-down network rather than a current agency, so for any live engagement The Digital Dept is the only real choice between the two.
What does Dolphin ownership mean for The Digital Dept?
The Digital Dept operates as a subsidiary of Dolphin Entertainment, a listed group, so it sits inside a larger structure rather than standing alone. That can bring broader resources, while it also means you engage a team within a bigger company. Confirm how the ownership shapes account teams and which office, Los Angeles or New York, leads your work before committing.
What should replace HelloSociety on my list?
Look at any operating agency that fits your brief, since HelloSociety has closed. For managed talent and campaigns, The Digital Dept is one operating option. More broadly, a discovery tool lets you find and vet creators yourself without depending on a single agency, which is often the cleaner route when a name on your list turns out to no longer exist.
How much do they cost?
The Digital Dept does not publish pricing and quotes a talent or campaign engagement once it scopes your brief. HelloSociety is closed, so it has nothing to price. That leaves only The Digital Dept with a real cost to scope between the two, which makes a self-serve tool with published tiers a useful comparison point.
Is there a software alternative to both?
Yes. Flinque is self-serve software covering discovery and vetting, indexing 10M+ verified creators across 4 platforms with 200 data points per creator reported on each profile. There is no demo and no annual lock-in. The Free Plan is $0, Starter is $49 a month and Enterprise is $150.

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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