The Shelf vs August United: Which to Pick
One of these measures influencer work across the whole funnel. The other builds and runs the strategy end to end for major brands. The Shelf runs measured, full-funnel influencer campaigns from Atlanta. August United handles end-to-end influencer strategy and activation, now within McKinney. Full-funnel measurement against end-to-end strategy.
Which one is right for you
Three buyers, three picks. Find the column that sounds like your team.
Choose The Shelf if
- You want influencer measured across the funnel
- You value performance from awareness to conversion
- Measurement matters more than a strategy build
Choose August United if
- You want strategy and activation handled end to end
- You are a larger brand wanting a managed program
- A built strategy matters more than funnel metrics
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
The Shelf vs August United vs Flinque
Fourteen factors across all three, from a full-funnel measurement shop to an end-to-end strategy agency. Flinque is the flat-price software option on the right.
| Factor | The Shelf | August United | Best valueFlinque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Measured full-funnel influencer | End-to-end strategy and activation | Teams running discovery in-house |
| Type | Full-funnel influencer agency | Influencer-only agency | Self-serve software |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia | Tempe, Arizona | Remote, serving 25+ countries |
| Approach | Measured across the funnel | Strategy through activation | Self-serve discovery |
| Ownership | Independent | Within McKinney, since 2023 | Independent |
| Focus | Full-funnel influencer marketing | Influencer strategy and activation | Discovery and vetting |
| Reported clients | Nordstrom and ROAR Organic | Microsoft, Samsung and Nestle | Self-serve, no client gate |
| Scale | Full-funnel specialist | Major-brand programs | 10M+ verified creators |
| Creator pool | Full-funnel creators | Managed for campaigns | 10M+ verified creators |
| What you get | Funnel-measured campaigns | A built and run strategy | A searchable index |
| Published pricing | None | None | Free $0, Starter $49, Enterprise $150 |
| Self-serve search | No | No | Yes |
| Free tier | No | No | Yes, no card |
| Data per creator | Not published | Not published | 200 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'.
What each agency actually does
What is The Shelf
The Shelf measures influencer across the whole funnel. An Atlanta agency, its full-funnel influencer marketing works creator campaigns from awareness down to conversion, with the emphasis on measuring what happens at each stage rather than chasing reach alone. Reported clients like Nordstrom, Savers Value Village, ROAR Organic and Peelz Citrus fit that performance focus. For a brand that wants influencer work it can measure end to end, that funnel discipline is the reason to look at The Shelf.
The trade against a strategy-led agency is scope. The Shelf is built to run and measure creator campaigns rather than to build a brand's broader influencer strategy from scratch and activate it as a managed program. Its strength is performance across the funnel. That suits a brand that already knows its direction and wants the work measured. If your need is a partner to shape the whole strategy and run it end to end, a strategy-and-activation agency is a wider engagement.
What The Shelf does well
- Measures influencer across the funnel
- Performance from awareness to conversion
- Reported clients are recognisable brands
- Depth in full-funnel creator work
Where it falls short
- Not a from-scratch strategy builder
- Narrower than a managed program
- Focused on measurement over strategy
- No published pricing and no self-serve search
What is August United
August United builds and runs the whole thing. A Tempe, Arizona agency, it handles end-to-end influencer strategy and activation, taking a creator program from planning through to execution rather than measuring a campaign someone else scoped. Reported clients like Microsoft, Samsung, Nestle, Sam's Club, PetSmart and P.F. Chang's mark it as trusted with major-brand work. Since 2023 it has operated within McKinney, so it now sits inside a larger advertising group, which is worth noting when you scope it.
The strength of an end-to-end agency is that it shapes the strategy as well as running it, for brands that want the direction set for them. The trade against a full-funnel measurement shop is that the value is in the strategy build and activation rather than in a specific funnel-metrics discipline. That suits a larger brand wanting a managed program. Confirm too how the McKinney ownership shapes your account, since an agency inside a bigger group can staff and scope differently from a standalone shop.
What August United does well
- End-to-end strategy and activation
- Reported clients are major brands
- Shapes the direction, not just the metrics
- Backed by McKinney since 2023
Where it falls short
- Now inside McKinney, confirm the structure
- Less a funnel-metrics specialist
- Built for larger managed programs
- No published pricing and no self-serve search
The Shelf vs August United head to head
The choice is full-funnel measurement against end-to-end strategy. The Shelf runs and measures creator campaigns across the funnel from Atlanta, which suits a brand that knows its direction and wants the work proven at each stage. August United builds and activates the whole influencer strategy for major brands from Tempe, now within McKinney, which suits a brand that wants the direction set and run for it. If you want measurement, the full-funnel shop fits. If you want a built strategy, the end-to-end agency does. They divide on where the value sits, not on quality.
There is a way to handle the creator part yourself, whichever you lean toward. 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 run discovery and vetting in-house and add a full-funnel measurement shop or an end-to-end strategy agency only when the work genuinely calls for one.
Which should you actually pick
Forget the pitch decks for a second. Match the partner to the situation you are in.
You want funnel measurement
You want creator work measured from awareness to conversion. That is The Shelf.
→ Pick The ShelfYou want strategy built and run
You want end-to-end influencer strategy and activation. That is August United.
→ Pick August UnitedYou want to find creators first
Before any agency, on data. Flinque reports 200 data points per creator, free to start with no card.
→ Pick FlinqueYou want a knowable price
Neither publishes pricing. Flinque is $0 to start and $49 a month, so you can begin without a sales call.
→ 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.
Influencer Discovery Platforms That We Made Easy and Affordable
Find Influencers for $49 a Month: Flinque vs Modash and HypeAuditor (2026)
Common questions about The Shelf and August United
What is the difference between The Shelf and August United?
What does full-funnel measurement mean at The Shelf?
What does end-to-end mean for August United?
Which suits a brand that already has direction?
Which suits a larger brand wanting a managed program?
What did the McKinney ownership change for August United?
How much do they cost?
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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