The Shelf vs Stargazer

Why brands weigh up different influencer agencies

When you start looking for outside help with creator campaigns, you quickly run into a few well known names. Two of them are The Shelf and Stargazer, both focused on influencer marketing but with different styles, strengths, and ideal clients.

Most brands want clarity on who will actually drive results, how these partners work with creators, and what kind of support they can expect from day one.

Influencer agency decision overview

The primary phrase to focus on here is influencer agency decision. That’s what you’re really making: a choice about who will plan, run, and scale your creator partnerships.

You’re not just buying reach. You’re choosing a team that will touch brand messaging, creator relationships, and your social reputation, sometimes for years.

What each agency is known for

Before diving into details, it helps to understand how each agency is generally perceived in the market. Think of it as their broad “lane” within the influencer world.

The Shelf in simple terms

The Shelf is usually associated with creative, visually driven campaigns and strong storytelling on social platforms. They lean into detailed audience profiling and tend to highlight narrative concepts, moodboards, and branded story arcs in their work.

They are often chosen by lifestyle, beauty, fashion, family, and CPG brands that want campaigns to feel like mini brand campaigns rather than scattered one-off posts.

Stargazer in simple terms

Stargazer is generally known for results oriented, performance focused influencer programs. They pay close attention to measurable outcomes like installs, sign-ups, or sales, not just reach and impressions.

Tech products, apps, direct-to-consumer brands, and ecommerce companies often look at Stargazer when they want influencers tightly tied to measurable growth metrics.

Inside The Shelf’s services and style

This agency acts as a full service partner for many brands. They usually handle everything from campaign ideas to reporting, so your team can stay focused on other channels.

Services typically offered

While exact services shift by client, you’ll usually see work framed around planning, creator sourcing, campaign execution, and measurement. That often includes both long term partnerships and short burst launches.

• Influencer strategy and campaign concepts
• Creator discovery and vetting
• Contracting and negotiations
• Content briefs and creative direction
• Campaign management and approvals
• Reporting, insights, and recommendations

Approach to campaigns

Campaigns tend to start from storytelling ideas rather than just influencer lists. You may see them build a clear narrative, then find creators whose audiences match that story and your buyer.

They often balance brand control with creator freedom, aiming for content that feels on brand but not rigid or scripted.

Creator relationships

Over time, they’ve built relationships across social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. They don’t publicly position themselves as a talent agency, but they do manage ongoing relationships with many creators.

This often helps with speed of sourcing, trust in deliverables, and ability to re-engage proven creators for multiple campaigns.

Typical client fit

The Shelf tends to resonate with brands that care as much about look and feel as they do about raw numbers. Think marketers who obsess over mood, brand voice, and aesthetic consistency.

Examples of brand types that might be a good fit include:

• Beauty and skincare labels launching product lines
• Fashion and accessories brands building social presence
• Home and lifestyle brands aiming at Pinterest and Instagram
• Family and parenting brands wanting story led content

Inside Stargazer’s services and style

This agency positions itself heavily around performance and measurable growth. While creative matters, they tend to highlight results like app installs or revenue uplift more prominently.

Services typically offered

The service range looks similar on paper to other agencies, but the emphasis usually falls on testing, tracking, and scaling what works.

• Influencer strategy aligned to growth targets
• Creator discovery with performance filters
• Contracting, usage rights, and compliance
• Campaign management across platforms
• Performance tracking and optimization
• User generated content licensing and reuse

Approach to campaigns

Stargazer is often chosen by brands that want influencer work to behave more like an ad channel they can measure. They tend to test different creators, angles, and platforms, then double down on what converts best.

You may see tighter tracking links, deeper analytics, and closer alignment to performance marketing teams, especially for apps and ecommerce.

Creator relationships

They work with many of the same platforms and creators you’d expect: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and possibly niche channels that suit specific audiences.

Because campaigns lean performance heavy, they often look for creators familiar with call to actions, discount codes, and driving traffic that actually converts.

Typical client fit

Stargazer tends to attract brands that see creators as a growth lever, sometimes more than a pure branding play. That includes:

• Mobile apps focused on installs or subscriptions
• Direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands
• Tech products targeting younger, social native audiences
• Subscription services and online platforms

How these agencies really differ

If you look at lists of services alone, these agencies may sound similar. The real differences show up in how they balance creativity, branding, and performance, and how they communicate with your team.

Creative storytelling versus performance focus

One tends to lean more into visual storytelling and brand narrative, while the other highlights performance and measurable growth. That doesn’t mean either side ignores the other, but the emphasis is clear in their case studies and messaging.

Ask yourself whether your leadership is more excited by stunning content or reports packed with conversion data.

Brand experience and collaboration style

Some marketers want an agency that feels like an extension of their creative team. Others want a crew that speaks the language of performance marketing. That difference shapes meetings, reports, and everyday interactions.

Both can manage full campaigns, but the “feel” of working together may be quite different depending on your internal culture and KPIs.

Scale and creator mix

Both agencies work with a mix of micro, mid tier, and larger creators. However, the sweet spot often varies by client and category. Performance oriented campaigns may lean more heavily on creators who can drive action at scale.

Brand storytelling work may invest more in creative direction, aesthetic fit, and longer term partnerships that build familiarity over time.

Pricing and how work is scoped

Neither agency sells off the shelf packages publicly the way a software tool might. Instead, pricing usually depends on scope, timeline, and your goals.

How brands are typically charged

Most influencer agencies follow a similar pattern. You’ll usually see a mix of campaign level fees, creator costs, and agency management fees rolled into a custom proposal.

• Campaign planning and strategy fees
• Influencer fees and content costs
• Management and execution fees
• Optional add ons like paid amplification or whitelisting

What influences cost the most

Costs can swing widely based on a few simple factors. Understanding these makes any agency conversation much smoother and avoids sticker shock.

• Number of creators and content pieces
• Platforms used, especially video heavy ones
• Type of creators: micro, mid tier, or celebrity
• Usage rights and length of content licensing
• Geographic markets and languages involved

Engagement style

Brands usually work with agencies in one of two ways: project based campaigns or longer retainers.

Project based work focuses on a launch, season, or specific objective. Retainers support ongoing creator programs, evergreen content, or always on ambassador efforts throughout the year.

Strengths and limitations to keep in mind

Every agency has upsides and trade offs. The key is matching those to your brand stage, budget, and internal skill set.

Potential strengths

• Done for you execution that saves your team time
• Established creator networks and vetting processes
• Structured workflows for briefs, approvals, and payments
• Experience across categories like beauty, apps, fashion, and ecommerce
• Ability to learn from many past campaigns, not just yours

Common limitations

*The most common concern brands raise is losing visibility or control over day to day creator relationships.* This can feel uncomfortable for teams used to handling PR and partnerships in house.

• Fees may feel high if you’re early stage or testing
• Campaign timelines can be slower than in house scrappy work
• Creator selections might not match your instincts at first
• Not every agency can be equally deep in every niche

How to protect your interests

No matter which agency you pick, a few basics make the relationship healthier: clear KPIs, agreed decision timelines, and transparent reporting. Ask how they handle underperformance, creative disputes, and unexpected platform changes.

Who each agency is best for

To make this more concrete, it helps to look at real world situations where one option might be a better fit than the other.

When a storytelling heavy agency makes sense

• You’re a beauty, fashion, or lifestyle brand building long term awareness.
• Your leadership cares deeply about brand image and aesthetics.
• You want content you can repurpose across paid, email, and site.
• You’re launching new product lines and need cohesive narratives.

When a performance driven agency fits better

• You’re an app or DTC brand with clear cost per acquisition goals.
• Your marketing team is used to performance channels like paid search.
• You need strong tracking, codes, and attribution across creators.
• You plan to test, learn, and scale winning creator partnerships quickly.

Questions to ask yourself before choosing

• Is our main goal awareness, sales, or a balance of both?
• Do we care more about content quality or hard metrics?
• How involved do we want to be day to day?
• What budget range realistically makes sense for the next 6–12 months?

When a platform like Flinque makes more sense

Not every brand is ready for a full service retainer. Some want more control, or simply can’t justify agency fees yet. That’s where a platform led approach can fit better.

What a platform based alternative offers

Tools such as Flinque let brands discover creators, manage outreach, and coordinate campaigns in one place without handing everything to an outside team.

• You keep direct relationships with creators.
• You can start small, then scale as you learn.
• Your internal team gains hands on experience with influencer work.

When this route is smart

• You’re early stage and testing influencer marketing for the first time.
• Your budget is limited and you need to stretch each dollar.
• You already have a scrappy marketing team willing to manage outreach.
• You want data and workflows, but not a full agency commitment.

FAQs

How do I choose between a creative and performance focused agency?

Start with your main business goal. If brand image and storytelling matter most, lean toward creative focus. If you need installs, sign ups, or sales, look for an agency that talks clearly about tracking, testing, and performance metrics.

Can small brands work with these influencer agencies?

Some smaller brands can, but there is usually a minimum budget to make campaigns worthwhile. If you’re very early stage, consider starting with a platform solution or a smaller project before committing to a larger scope.

How long does it take to launch an influencer campaign?

Expect anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. You’ll need time for strategy, creator sourcing, contracts, content production, and approvals. Faster launches are possible but may limit creator choice or content complexity.

What should I ask an influencer agency before signing?

Ask about past work in your category, how they measure success, how they choose creators, who will manage your account, and how reporting works. Clarify what happens if performance is below expectations before you sign any agreement.

Is it better to manage influencers in house or use an agency?

If you have time, skills, and systems, in house management offers more control. Agencies save time and bring experience but cost more. Many brands start with agency help, then gradually build internal capabilities using learnings from early campaigns.

Conclusion: choosing the right partner

Your influencer agency decision should flow from three simple things: your goals, your budget, and how hands on you want to be. Creative led agencies shine when brand storytelling is crucial. Performance oriented partners excel when growth metrics are non negotiable.

If you’re unsure, talk to both types, ask for case studies in your niche, and compare how clearly they explain their process and results. And if you’re not ready for full service support, a platform based option like Flinque can help you learn the ropes while keeping costs flexible.

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.