The Motherhood vs IMA

Choosing an influencer marketing partner can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re weighing options like The Motherhood and IMA. You’re likely asking who understands your audience best, who works well with creators, and which partner will actually move the needle for your brand.

Why brands compare influencer marketing agencies

Most marketers compare these two agencies because they want the right balance of strategy, execution, and cost. You may be deciding between a niche, relationship-driven shop and a more globally minded agency with broader reach and resources.

At the heart of it, you’re trying to answer a few simple questions. Who will tell your story best, who will handle logistics without drama, and who will deliver results that your leadership cares about?

Table of Contents

• What each agency is known for
• The Motherhood: services and style
• IMA: services and style
• How these agencies differ in practice
• Pricing approach and how work is scoped
• Key strengths and limitations
• Who each agency is best for
• When a platform like Flinque can be better
• FAQs
• Conclusion: choosing the right partner
• Disclaimer

What each agency is known for

The primary keyword for this discussion is influencer agency choice. Both agencies sit firmly in that space, but they fill different roles for brands and marketing teams.

The Motherhood is widely recognized for campaigns rooted in everyday consumers, especially parents and family-focused creators. Their reputation centers around authenticity, community, and brand storytelling that feels relatable rather than flashy.

IMA, often associated with IMA Agency in Amsterdam, is known for working with larger brands and global campaigns. They frequently tap into fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and premium consumer segments, with a strong eye for aesthetics and brand positioning.

The first tends to feel like a relationship-led shop with deep ties to creators in specific niches. The second often feels like a polished partner suited to campaigns crossing borders, languages, and markets.

The Motherhood: services and style

The Motherhood typically focuses on influencer programs built around real-life experiences and family-centered moments. They often work with bloggers, Instagram creators, TikTokers, and everyday voices who speak directly to parents and caregivers.

Core services you can expect

While offerings evolve, brands usually go to this agency for done-for-you influencer planning and execution. That often includes strategy, creator selection, content briefs, coordination, and reporting.

• Influencer campaign strategy and concepts
• Creator scouting and vetting in parent and lifestyle niches
• Content planning for social, blogs, and sometimes events
• Campaign management and day-to-day coordination
• Measurement, recaps, and recommendations

They also tend to support integrated programs, where influencer content is paired with PR, sampling, or retail moments such as store launches, seasonal pushes, or product trials.

How The Motherhood tends to run campaigns

This agency often leans into storytelling that feels like a friend’s recommendation. Posts might show real family routines, product tests, and honest pros and cons, rather than only highly staged imagery.

Campaigns often feature multiple touchpoints with the same creator. For example, a back-to-school campaign might include an Instagram post, a Reel, and a blog story, spread across several weeks.

They usually invest time up front understanding your audience’s daily life. That can influence creator selection, messaging angles, timing, and where content appears, such as Pinterest, Instagram, or blogs.

Creator relationships and network feel

The Motherhood often builds long-term relationships with creators in parenting, home, food, wellness, and education spaces. Many of these creators are micro or mid-tier influencers with strong community trust.

Because the network is often relationship-driven, campaigns can feel collaborative. Creators may be more willing to share feedback, suggest angles, or adapt content to what they know works with their audience.

This can be especially valuable when your brand touches sensitive topics like child health, budgeting, or work-life balance, where tone and wording truly matter.

Typical clients that find a good fit

Brands that tend to pair well with The Motherhood usually fall into certain categories. They may sell products for families, kids, or household routines, or offer services used by parents and caregivers.

• CPG brands in food, snacks, and household goods
• Baby, kids, and family-focused products
• Retailers with strong family or community audiences
• Educational tools, apps, and child-focused services
• Nonprofits and causes looking to reach parents

These clients often want campaigns that feel grounded, practical, and emotionally resonant, not just visually impressive.

IMA: services and style

IMA, sometimes tagged as Influencer Marketing Agency or IMA Agency, is often associated with global campaigns and premium lifestyle brands. Their work typically spans multiple countries and platforms.

Core services you can expect

IMA usually offers end-to-end influencer services, with a heavier emphasis on creative direction and global coordination. Their services often cover the full campaign lifecycle.

• Global influencer strategy and campaign concepts
• Cross-market creator scouting and negotiations
• Creative direction, mood boards, and content frameworks
• Campaign production, logistics, and approvals
• Performance tracking and optimization suggestions

They may also advise on using influencer content in paid media, brand channels, or e-commerce pages, helping brands get more mileage from each piece of content.

How IMA tends to run campaigns

IMA’s work often leans into strong visual identity and storytelling that aligns closely with a brand’s global image. Deliverables may look like mini campaigns in their own right.

Campaigns frequently involve multiple markets, with local creators adapting central themes to their own audiences. This requires careful coordination around timing, messaging, and legal approvals.

You’ll often see a structured process with detailed briefs, clear timelines, and polished reporting tailored for regional and global stakeholders.

Creator relationships and network feel

IMA tends to work with a broad range of creators, from micro influencers to high-profile talent. Fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle are especially common verticals.

The network may feel more like a curated database and evolving roster rather than a tight-knit niche community. This allows flexibility when you need very specific audience segments in different countries.

For brands, that can translate to access to trend-setting creators, emerging tastemakers, and more premium content styles.

Typical clients that find a good fit

IMA often aligns with brands that think in terms of regions and global positioning. These clients may already have in-house brand teams and need a partner to execute complex influencer work.

• Fashion and luxury brands entering new markets
• Beauty and skincare labels with international reach
• Travel, hospitality, and tourism boards
• Tech and lifestyle brands with design-focused identities
• Global consumer brands managing multi-country launches

These brands usually care about maintaining a consistent look and feel across markets while still feeling local and relevant.

How these agencies differ in practice

Both are influencer agencies, but they feel very different once you start working with them. The contrasts usually come down to focus, scale, and the way they engage with creators.

Focus and audience sweet spot

The Motherhood tends to focus on families and everyday consumers, leaning into parenting, lifestyle, and community topics. Their campaigns often live where real-life decisions happen, like grocery choices or family routines.

IMA leans more toward aspirational lifestyle and global reach. Their campaigns often showcase style, travel, or premium experiences, aligned with a strong visual brand identity.

Scale and geographic reach

If your priority is deep engagement within a specific demographic, like U.S. parents, a relationship-led agency can be ideal. They know the conversations happening in those circles.

If you’re launching across Europe, North America, and Asia at once, you may need a partner already familiar with cross-border coordination and local compliance in many regions.

Campaign experience and day-to-day feel

Working with The Motherhood may feel more intimate, with attention to individual creator stories and community feedback. You might see more room for co-creation and evolving content ideas.

IMA often feels like working with a creative agency that happens to specialize in influencers. Processes, decks, and deliverables may be more formal and structured, especially for large organizations.

Pricing approach and how work is scoped

Neither of these agencies typically operates like a software subscription. Instead, costs are built around strategy, management time, and the creators you hire.

Common pricing structures

Both agencies usually work on custom quotes. You’ll see separate line items or blended estimates for agency fees and influencer payments, plus possible production or travel costs.

• Single-campaign projects with clear timelines
• Ongoing retainers for continuous influencer activity
• Hybrid setups with evergreen ambassadors and seasonal bursts

Because influencer fees vary by creator size, channel, and usage rights, you can expect some flexibility during negotiations and planning.

Factors that influence total cost

Several elements shape your final budget with either agency. Understanding these up front can help you design a program that fits your resources.

• Number of creators and their follower size
• Content formats such as Reels, Stories, long-form video, or blogs
• Markets and languages covered
• Usage rights, whitelisting, and paid media extensions
• Level of reporting and strategic support you require

You can often start with a smaller pilot and grow spend if you see the right signals in engagement, sales lift, or content value.

Key strengths and limitations

Every agency has a sweet spot, and every approach comes with trade-offs. Knowing these helps you set realistic expectations and choose the partner that fits your stage and goals.

Where The Motherhood tends to shine

• Deep understanding of parents, families, and household decision-makers
• Strong relationships with everyday creators who feel trustworthy
• Storytelling that makes products feel useful in real life
• Campaigns that can blend PR, education, and community outreach

The main limitation is scale across many markets or very niche luxury segments. If you need dozens of creators across continents, you may find reach somewhat narrower.

Where IMA tends to shine

• Ability to coordinate multi-market or global influencer efforts
• Access to premium lifestyle, fashion, and travel creators
• Polished creative concepts and visually consistent content
• Experience presenting results to regional and global stakeholders

On the flip side, smaller brands may feel processes are heavier or more complex than needed for simple, local campaigns. Costs can also rise quickly at global scale.

Common concerns brands raise

Many marketers worry that influencer programs will look nice but not drive real outcomes. That’s why it’s important to ask about measurement, sales attribution, and how each agency has tied previous work to business results.

Another frequent concern is creative control. Some brands fear losing their voice. Others fear content that looks too scripted. Exploring sample briefs and outputs can calm both worries.

Who each agency is best for

If you understand your own needs clearly, matching with the right agency becomes much easier. Think about audience, markets, budget, and how hands-on your team wants to be.

The Motherhood may be best if you are

• A CPG, baby, kids, or household brand focused on families
• A retailer or service targeting parents, teachers, or caregivers
• A nonprofit or mission-driven group speaking to communities
• Looking for heartfelt stories more than glossy perfection
• Focused mainly on one country or a small number of markets

It can also be a good fit if your internal team is lean and you need a partner comfortable managing details with smaller, highly engaged creators.

IMA may be best if you are

• A fashion, beauty, or lifestyle brand with international presence
• Planning multi-country or multi-region launches
• Looking for premium creators and standout visual content
• Needing a structured partner familiar with global stakeholders
• Comfortable with larger budgets and complex programs

IMA can also suit brands that want influencer activity closely tied to other global campaigns and above-the-line creative.

When a platform like Flinque can be better

Not every brand needs a full-service agency. Some teams prefer more control and direct creator relationships, especially when budgets are modest or experiments are frequent.

Why you might consider Flinque

Flinque is a platform-based alternative that lets brands handle influencer discovery, outreach, and campaign coordination in-house. It’s not an agency, and that distinction matters.

Instead of paying retainers for done-for-you service, you use software to search for creators, manage briefs, track content, and organize reporting. This can be ideal if you already have a scrappy marketing team.

For example, a growing DTC brand might use Flinque to test dozens of micro influencers each quarter, keeping fees predictable while they learn which audiences convert.

Situations where a platform can make more sense

• Your budget is tight, and you’d rather invest in creator fees than agency retainers.
• Your team wants direct relationships with influencers for long-term work.
• You run frequent small campaigns rather than a few big tentpoles.
• You’re comfortable owning strategy and only need tools to execute.

In those cases, software-driven workflows may feel more flexible than a traditional agency partnership, while still giving you structure and visibility.

FAQs

How do I decide which influencer agency to talk to first?

Start with your audience and markets. If you focus on families in one main country, lean toward a relationship-led shop. If you need multi-country reach and premium positioning, explore an agency built for global campaigns.

Can I work with both a niche agency and a platform at the same time?

Yes. Many brands use an agency for big launches and a platform for always-on creator relationships. The key is clear roles so efforts don’t overlap or confuse creators with mixed messages.

How long should I test an influencer partner before scaling?

Plan at least one full campaign cycle, often three to six months, before judging. That allows time to test creators, refine messaging, and see early impact on traffic, engagement, or sales.

What should I ask agencies before signing?

Ask for case studies in your category, sample briefs, example reports, and how they handle creator selection. Clarify who your day-to-day contact is and how they measure real business results.

Do I need a big budget to work with an influencer agency?

You don’t need a global budget, but you do need enough to cover thoughtful strategy, fair creator payment, and testing. If resources are very limited, a platform-led approach may be more realistic.

Conclusion: choosing the right partner

Choosing between these influencer agencies is really about what you sell, who you serve, and how you like to work. One leans into deep community and family-centered stories, the other into global reach and polished lifestyle campaigns.

Be honest about your budget, your internal bandwidth, and how closely you want to steer the wheel. If you need done-for-you support, an agency makes sense. If you want more control, a platform-led path may be better.

Map your needs, ask pointed questions, and review real examples of past work. The right influencer partner should feel like an extension of your team, not just another vendor to manage.

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.