Viral Nation vs The Digital Dept

Why brands weigh up influencer agency options

When brands look at Viral Nation and The Digital Dept, they’re usually deciding how much support they need to run strong influencer campaigns without wasting budget or time.

Some want a huge, all-in global partner. Others prefer a focused team that feels close to their day-to-day marketing.

The challenge is knowing which kind of agency fits your goals, your budget, and how involved you want to be in the work.

How influencer marketing agency choice really works

The primary question isn’t “Which agency is better?” It’s “Which one matches how we want to work, how fast we need results, and how much control we want?”

That’s where the idea of a strategic influencer marketing partner comes in. You’re choosing a long term extension of your own team.

Let’s break down what these agencies actually do, who they help best, and where they may not be ideal.

What each agency is known for

Both agencies sit in the influencer and creator marketing world, but they play different roles in that space.

Viral Nation at a glance

Viral Nation is often seen as a global, full service influencer and social agency that handles large, high visibility campaigns for major brands.

They lean into big ideas, cross channel social campaigns, creator talent management, and sometimes performance focused programs tied to measurable outcomes.

The Digital Dept at a glance

The Digital Dept is known more as a nimble, modern marketing partner that blends influencer work with broader digital content and social strategies.

They tend to feel more boutique than enterprise, often working closely with brand teams to shape ongoing social storytelling rather than just one off activations.

Inside Viral Nation

Services and core offerings

Viral Nation is set up to cover the entire influencer and social lifecycle. That usually includes:

• Influencer and creator campaign strategy
• Creator sourcing, vetting, and contracting
• Content planning and production oversight
• Always on social and creator programs
• Talent management and representation
• Paid social amplification around creator content
• Measurement, reporting, and optimization

For bigger brands, they can feel like a one stop shop for everything social and creator related.

How Viral Nation runs campaigns

Campaigns typically start with a brand brief, clear goals, and target audiences. The agency narrows that down into creative angles and content formats.

They’ll then identify creators across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and emerging channels, matching them to campaign themes.

Brands usually get structured timelines, content calendars, and clear reporting around reach, engagement, and sometimes conversions or sales.

Creator relationships and talent network

Viral Nation is known for managing and representing creators directly, giving them a deep bench of talent and insight into what works on each platform.

Because of this, they can often move quickly on casting and negotiate terms that balance brand needs with creator expectations.

This talent focus can help with long term creator partnerships instead of just one off posts.

Typical client fit for Viral Nation

Viral Nation usually fits brands that:

• Have mid to large marketing budgets
• Need multi market or multi language campaigns
• Want big reach and splashy creative ideas
• Care strongly about brand safety and risk management
• Are open to more complex, integrated social programs

If you’re a global or fast scaling brand, this type of partner often matches your internal complexity.

Inside The Digital Dept

Services and core offerings

The Digital Dept typically covers influencer activity as part of a wider digital mix. Their work often includes:

• Influencer and creator collaborations
• Social media strategy and content
• Brand storytelling and campaign concepts
• Creative production support
• Community building and engagement
• Ongoing content calendars and planning

Instead of only focusing on creators, they often tie influencer content into the brand’s overall digital presence.

How The Digital Dept runs campaigns

This agency often works in a more collaborative, workshop style way with brand teams. There’s usually close alignment with in house marketers.

They may focus on a smaller pool of well matched creators, building repeat partnerships that feel authentic and on brand.

Reporting tends to track engagement, audience fit, and content performance across the brand’s own channels as well as the creator’s.

Creator relationships and working style

The Digital Dept may not be as heavily focused on talent management as a core business, which can lead to a different relationship dynamic.

Instead of prioritizing sheer volume of creators, they often emphasize fit, tone, and creative alignment with the brand’s visual and verbal identity.

This can suit brands that care deeply about consistency in voice and storytelling.

Typical client fit for The Digital Dept

This kind of partner often works well for brands that:

• Want a close, collaborative relationship with their agency
• Need both influencer and broader digital support
• Value storytelling as much as reach
• Prefer focused, ongoing creator relationships
• Operate with small to mid sized marketing teams

If you want your agency to feel like part of your internal team, this style can be appealing.

How these agencies differ in practice

The biggest differences sit around scale, structure, and how each agency plugs into your business.

Scale and footprint

Viral Nation is built to support large, multi country brands and high volume creator work. Their processes and teams are tuned for complexity.

The Digital Dept is generally more compact, which can mean faster, more personal communication and closer creative development.

Campaign style and creative approach

Viral Nation often leans into big, attention grabbing creator concepts that can travel across platforms and markets.

The Digital Dept tends to favor story driven, channel specific creative that meshes tightly with your existing brand content.

Both can be effective, but they answer different needs: broad impact versus cohesive storytelling across touchpoints.

Level of brand involvement

With a larger agency, you may benefit from more done for you execution and standardized reporting, but less day to day back and forth.

A smaller or more boutique partner often brings more frequent check ins and iteration, but may need more direction upfront from your side.

*Many marketers worry about feeling “too small” for a big agency or “too demanding” for a smaller one.*

Client experience and communication

Enterprise focused agencies often layer in specialist teams, account leads, and project managers. This is helpful, but can feel structured.

More compact agencies usually run with leaner teams, meaning the people in your first meeting may be the ones working on your account weekly.

Pricing and engagement style

No serious influencer agency sells simple price tags. Costs shift based on scope, creator fees, and how long you work together.

How pricing typically works

Both agencies are likely to quote based on a mix of:

• Campaign length and number of creators
• Types of deliverables and content formats
• Markets and languages involved
• Paid media support or not
• Level of strategy, production, and reporting

Creator fees are usually separated or clearly included within the campaign budget.

Viral Nation pricing style

A full service, global influencer partner often works on larger retainer relationships or high value project fees.

You can expect custom quotes anchored around multi month or multi campaign plans, with detailed scopes of work covering each phase.

They may also build ongoing programs that combine influencer work with talent management and paid amplification.

The Digital Dept pricing style

A more boutique partner often offers flexible project based work with the option to move into longer retainers once trust is built.

You might start with a single campaign or a few months of collaboration, then formalize a longer engagement if the fit feels right.

This can be easier for brands testing influencer marketing seriously for the first time.

Strengths and limitations

Every agency trade off is about what you gain versus what you give up. Neither option is perfect for everyone.

Where Viral Nation tends to shine

• Handling complex, multi country or multi creator campaigns
• Connecting influencer work with broader social and brand goals
• Drawing from a large creator network and talent insight
• Delivering robust reporting and structured processes

This can be powerful if you’re under pressure to show clear, repeatable results to senior leadership.

Possible limitations with Viral Nation

• May feel heavyweight for very small or early stage brands
• Processes can be less flexible for last minute changes
• Minimum campaign budgets may be higher than emerging brands expect

*Some marketers worry they’ll become a “small fish” among much larger clients and not get as much attention.*

Where The Digital Dept tends to shine

• Blending influencer work with overall digital presence
• Offering closer, collaborative creative development
• Focusing on authentic, repeat creator relationships
• Adapting quickly to feedback and content performance

Brands that value nuance, tone, and narrative often appreciate this level of hands on partnership.

Possible limitations with The Digital Dept

• May not have the same global resources as a large networked agency
• Capacity limits could affect very high volume, multi market work
• Some highly specialized services may be outsourced or handled by partners

*If you plan rapid global expansion, you might question whether a boutique team can keep pace long term.*

Who each agency is best suited for

It often helps to think in terms of stage, ambition, and internal resources.

Best fit scenarios for Viral Nation

• Large consumer brands needing big launches across several countries
• Well funded startups aiming for fast, high visibility growth
• Companies with strict brand safety or compliance needs
• Teams that want a partner to take heavy execution off their plate
• Brands planning always on creator and social programs

Best fit scenarios for The Digital Dept

• Brands wanting tighter alignment between influencer, social, and content
• Marketing teams that value frequent collaboration and creative discussion
• Small and mid sized brands stepping up from ad hoc influencer deals
• Companies that prefer a consistent, recognizable brand voice
• Teams open to building long term relationships with a core set of creators

Questions to ask yourself before choosing

• Do we need a global partner or a focused team?
• Is our priority massive reach, or deep connection with a specific audience?
• How important is it that our agency also handles other parts of digital marketing?
• What level of budget are we ready to commit for at least six to twelve months?
• How much internal time can we realistically give to collaboration?

When a platform alternative like Flinque makes sense

Some brands discover that neither a heavyweight agency nor a boutique partner is quite right, especially if they want to stay very hands on.

What a platform based option offers

A platform such as Flinque lets brands discover creators, manage outreach, track campaigns, and measure results inside a single workspace.

Instead of handing everything to an agency, your team runs the strategy and relationships directly, using the software for structure and data.

When a platform may beat full service

• You already have in house social or influencer specialists.
• You want to test many small creator relationships without large fees.
• You prefer direct communication with influencers.
• You need transparency on performance and costs in real time.
• Your budgets are still growing and you want flexibility.

This route is not necessarily cheaper in total effort, but it gives more control and learning to your team.

FAQs

How do I know if my brand is “big enough” for a larger influencer agency?

Look at your annual marketing budget and growth goals. If you can commit meaningful spend to creator campaigns for at least six to twelve months, a larger partner may make sense. If not, start smaller or with a platform first.

Can I switch from a boutique agency to a larger one later?

Yes. Many brands begin with a smaller partner to learn what works, then shift to a larger agency when ready to scale. Keep your data, contracts, and creative assets organized so the transition is smooth.

Should I expect creators to post on every platform?

Not always. The best campaigns match each creator’s strongest channels to your goals. Sometimes a single, high impact platform beats spreading content thin across many networks.

How long should I test an influencer strategy before judging results?

Plan for at least three to six months of consistent activity. One off campaigns can work, but repeated collaborations build trust, recognition, and better performance data for future decisions.

Is it better to work with a few big creators or many small ones?

It depends on your goals. Big creators drive reach and awareness fast. Smaller creators often bring deeper engagement and niche credibility. Many brands blend both to balance impact and authenticity.

Conclusion: choosing the right partner

Your best influencer partner depends on three things: what you want to achieve, how quickly you need to move, and how involved you want to be.

Large, full service agencies suit brands chasing global reach and complex programs. More focused partners often excel at storytelling and close collaboration.

If you prefer direct control and have internal capacity, a platform based option like Flinque can also be worth testing alongside or instead of agency support.

Whichever route you choose, be clear on goals, budgets, timelines, and how you’ll measure success before you sign anything.

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.