Learn How Top U.S. Influencer Marketing Agencies Collaboration Deals Deliver Campaign Success

You can have the perfect product, the trendiest platform, and a standout creative concept. But without the right partners, your influencer campaign may never reach its full potential.

That’s why top-performing brands don’t just work with creators, —they collaborate with influencer marketing agencies. These partners bring tested playbooks, strategic oversight, and the infrastructure to scale campaigns across platforms, markets, and influencer tiers.

Whether your team is lean, your campaign is high-stakes, or you’re just trying something new, the right agency can help you move faster, avoid missteps, and deliver better results.

In this post, we’ll explore when it makes sense to bring in an agency, what the top U.S. influencer marketing agencies do best, and how to choose the right one for your brand.

Why Collaborate with an Influencer Marketing Agency?

Hiring an influencer marketing agency isn’t just about outsourcing work—it’s about gaining capabilities your internal team may not have the time, tools, or relationships to build from scratch.

The right agency can help you:

• Scale quickly—from 5 to 500 creators across regions or platforms
  
  
• Activate niche influencer segments (like nano-creators, celebrity talent, or affiliates)
  
  
• Launch new formats (like livestreams, seeding programs, or long-form series)
  
  
• Navigate legal, compliance, and FTC disclosure requirements
  
  
• Manage content calendars, approvals, and campaign pivots across multiple channels
  
  
• Deliver real-time reporting with robust tools like Influencity
  

Agencies bring more than bandwidth. They bring structure, speed, and strategic depth, plus experience running campaigns at scale that actually work.

You don’t have to give up control, either. Many brands use a hybrid model: keeping brand voice and creative direction in-house while relying on agencies to handle execution, compliance, and creator management.

Pro Tip: A strong agency partner won’t just check boxes. They’ll push your thinking, help you avoid costly missteps, and work with you toward shared goals—like earning trust, expanding reach, and growing your brand over time.

Top U.S. Influencer Marketing Agencies (and What They Do Best)

If you're thinking about collaborating with an influencer marketing agency, it helps to see what great partnerships look like in action.

The following campaigns show how top U.S. agencies help brands scale faster, tap into the right creators, and deliver results across platforms. From viral TikTok challenges to multi-country rollouts, these examples highlight what the right agency can bring to the table and how to know when one’s a fit for your goals.

Viral Nation: Turning Crayola Into a TikTok Powerhouse

Crayola isn’t just for kids anymore and that’s no accident. With help from Viral Nation, the legacy art brand became a breakout hit on TikTok, reintroducing itself to Gen Z through a bold, creator-led campaign.

The Campaign
To modernize Crayola’s image, Viral Nation launched a branded TikTok challenge that centered around creativity and self-expression (not products). The challenge encouraged creators to interpret color through their own lens, whether that meant vibrant makeup looks, DIY art, or fashion styling. The result? A wave of highly visual, emotionally resonant content that felt organic to the platform.

The Results
The campaign generated 2.9 billion TikTok views, inspired thousands of UGC videos, and helped refresh Crayola’s brand perception for a younger, digital-native audience.

Why It Worked
Viral Nation didn’t just source creators. They aligned platform, audience, and message to deliver a campaign with cultural relevance, visual impact, and a strong emotional hook. It’s a textbook example of how a strategic influencer marketing agency collaboration can breathe new life into a legacy brand—and create viral momentum at scale.

The Goat Agency: Scaling Dell’s Creator Program Across 8 Countries

When Dell wanted to expand its influencer presence globally, they didn’t just need creators, they needed infrastructure. The Goat Agency delivered both.

The Campaign
Dell partnered with Goat to build a global influencer engine that could scale quickly and reliably. The agency expanded Dell’s program from 10 to over 100 creators across 8 countries, tailoring outreach and messaging by region to ensure local resonance and brand consistency.

The Results
Dell’s creator network grew from a small pilot group to more than 100 active influencers across 8 countries. The Goat Agency helped coordinate everything—outreach, content, approvals—while laying the foundation for a process Dell could keep scaling.

Why It Worked
Goat didn’t just help Dell “do more.” They made it easier to do more again and again. By pairing local strategy with behind-the-scenes structure, they helped turn influencer marketing into a repeatable part of Dell’s scalable, repeatable growth channel.

Obviously: Activating 500+ Creators for Ulta Beauty’s Skincare Launch

Launching a skincare line is hard. Launching one with 500+ creators and making it feel personal? That’s what Obviously pulled off with Ulta Beauty.

The Campaign
To support a national skincare launch, Ulta teamed up with Obviously to activate over 500 micro-influencers. Each creator was chosen based on skin type, content style, and audience alignment, ensuring recommendations felt tailored and credible.

The Results
The campaign reached over 50 million people and saw strong engagement across platforms, largely because each creator felt like the right fit—and the rollout was thoughtfully timed.

Why It Worked
Obviously used its data-backed creator matching and campaign tools to bring personalization to scale. The result was a launch that felt niche to each community but massive in total reach—a testament to what’s possible with the right influencer marketing agency collaboration.

IMA: Elevating Tommy Hilfiger’s Lifestyle Appeal with Global Creators

Fashion campaigns aren’t just about visibility. They’re about vibe. IMA helped Tommy Hilfiger tap into the cultural moment with a creator strategy that felt global, curated, and aspirational.

The Campaign
To promote a limited-edition capsule collection, Tommy Hilfiger worked with IMA to activate lifestyle and fashion creators across Europe, North America, and Asia. The goal: Drive engagement, showcase styling inspiration, and introduce the line to new audiences.

The Results
The collaboration drove 1.5 million+ new followers to Tommy Hilfiger’s social channels and sparked sustained UGC momentum, even after the campaign ended.

Why It Worked
IMA didn’t just bring in influencers—they curated them. Every creator reflected the aspirational tone of the brand while appealing to regional audiences. This influencer marketing agency collaboration didn’t just boost reach. It helped reinforce Tommy Hilfiger’s position in global youth culture.

What Agencies Offer That In-House Teams Often Can’t

In-house teams do amazing work, but they can't do everything.

As influencer marketing grows more complex, most brands eventually face the same challenge: too many moving parts, not enough time, and high stakes for every post. That’s when the right agency becomes a growth multiplier, not just a helping hand.

When you bring in an influencer marketing agency, you’re not just adding capacity. You’re gaining access to the infrastructure, relationships, and deep specialization that accelerate results, without overloading your internal team.

Here’s what top agencies bring to the table:

Scale on Demand
Need to go from 10 to 100 creators across multiple markets? Agencies already have the networks, tools, and workflows to make it happen—fast.

Legal, Contracting & FTC Compliance
From NDAs and usage rights to FTC-safe language and disclosures, agencies know how to keep your brand protected while keeping campaigns compliant.

Creator Vetting & Rate Negotiation
Agencies go beyond surface-level metrics. They vet for audience alignment, brand fit, and past performance, and handle negotiations with creators directly.

Creative Strategy & Execution
From concept to content calendar to final asset review, agencies help ensure your campaign feels cohesive across every creator and channel.

Campaign Management & Reporting
Expect real-time data, detailed post-campaign reporting, and smart mid-campaign adjustments. Many agencies use platforms like Influencity to manage it all in one place.

In-House vs. Agency: Pros and Cons

Choosing between building in-house or partnering with an agency isn’t just about headcount—it’s a strategic decision.

The right approach depends on your goals, how quickly you need to scale, and whether influencer marketing is a core strength for your team.

Use this side-by-side breakdown to weigh the trade-offs—and decide when an agency collaboration might give you the edge.

Pro Tip: Many brands achieve content marketing success with a hybrid model—keeping brand voice and creative direction in-house, while relying on agencies to scale execution or manage compliance-heavy campaigns.

How to Choose the Right Influencer Marketing Agency

The right agency can help you scale faster, reach better-fit creators, and turn influencer campaigns into a reliable growth engine. But not every agency delivers on that promise.

So how can you tell who’s a true partner—and who’s just good at pitching?

Use this checklist to evaluate whether an agency is built to support your goals.

Reviews & Reputation

Ask for recommendations in your marketing Slack groups or on LinkedIn, then cross-reference those agencies with unfiltered customer feedback on Reddit and third-party review sites like Google, Clutch, G2, or TrustPilot. Be cautious of “pay to play” sites where you aren’t hearing the voice of the customer. Check what employees say on Glassdoor or Indeed because agency culture matters.

This early step is often overlooked, but it's a time-saver and red flag detector. It helps you build a smarter shortlist and surface specific questions to ask during your interviews.

Green flag: You see consistent praise from real clients about communication, transparency, and campaign results.

Portfolio & Clients

Do they have a track record in your industry—or with campaigns similar to yours (e.g., product launches, brand ambassador programs, seasonal pushes)?

Some sectors and niches have unique legal, ethical, or cultural considerations that make it especially important to choose an influencer marketing agency with domain-specific experience.

Green flag: They've worked successfully with brands like yours.  

Creator Network Fit

Are they well-connected to the types of influencers you want to work with—macro, micro, or nano? Do they understand your audience's culture, language, and values?

Green flag: They can name 3–5 creators they’d pitch for your brand right now.

Tech Stack & Reporting

Are they using modern tools to track performance, manage deliverables, and provide insights? Or are they operating out of spreadsheets?  

Green flag: They use platforms like Influencity, can give real time insights, and can generate custom reports within minutes.

Team Structure & Support

Will you have a dedicated account manager? Who’s responsible for strategy vs. execution?

Agencies with niche expertise bring a deep understanding of industry-specific challenges and regulations. For instance, marketing to children involves strict compliance with laws like COPPA, while promoting regulated products requires navigating complex legal landscapes. An agency well-versed in these areas can ensure that campaigns are both effective and compliant, reducing risk and enhancing brand trust.

Green flag: You’re not just hiring for labor. You’re getting thinkers, experts, planners, and point people who care about your goals.

References

After narrowing down your options, request to speak with past or current clients. Direct conversations can provide insights into the agency's working style, responsiveness, and ability to deliver results.

Green flag: They're eager to connect you with satisfied clients who can vouch for their work.

Financial Health & Stability

Influencer marketing is a competitive, fast-moving industry—and not every agency is built to last. In recent years, we've seen agency closures, mass layoffs, and delayed influencer payments, all of which can disrupt your campaigns or harm your brand reputation. Protect your brand by making sure the agency you choose isn’t just creative—but also operationally sound.

Before signing, do a quick financial health check:

• Search recent news about layoffs, lawsuits, or missed payments
  
  
• Check LinkedIn to see if employees are leaving in waves
  
  
• Ask directly how they manage cash flow for creator payments—especially if the agency pays influencers on your behalf
  
  

Green flag: Transparent answers about payment timelines, clear contracts, and a track record of timely execution

Final Takeaway: Collaborate to Go Further, Faster

You don’t need a huge team to run a high-impact influencer program—you just need the right partner.

Whether you're scaling fast, launching something new, or entering unfamiliar territory, the right agency  collaboration can help you do more with less: less risk, less guesswork, more confidence.

And with the right tools behind the scenes, you can move even faster.

Influencity helps brands and agencies plan smarter, manage campaigns efficiently, and turn influencer marketing into repeatable growth—from pitch to post.