The war for influencer marketing expertise is growing. Publicis Groupe recently acquired Captiv8 and also owns Influential. Stagwell has also acquired influencer marketing shops in the past year.

Whalar is aiming to differentiate itself by solely focusing on creators—specifically how creative is used in influencer marketing.

“It’s almost impossible to be culturally relevant without embracing creators,” said Cronk. “We’re a modern creative agency. We tell stories that are really compelling. They captivate and convert communities.”