Same Index Scores as the table. Each write-up is the New York office or NY-led practice evidence — including who should skip the shop.
#1 · Index Score 9.6
The Influencer Marketing Factory — Best overall with a New York office
The Influencer Marketing Factory is Miami-founded with a published New York office (and Amsterdam). That is enough for this filter: a working NY floor, not a bi-coastal press release. Partner badges, named US work, and Index Score 9.6 still lead the subset. New York buyers get a specialist that can sit in-market without being a WPP or Dentsu shop. The HQ remains Miami; do not pretend this is a SoHo-native creative. Measurement is codes and pixels. Against Obviously, a Miami-founded specialist with an NY floor versus a New York–founded WPP network. Against Goat, independent versus GroupM. Against 160over90, a campaign team versus Dentsu culture.
Skip if. Skip if you needed a New York–founded specialist (Obviously), a London independent with NY and New Orleans (Billion Dollar Boy), or Dentsu culture access (160over90).
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#2 · Index Score 8.7
The Goat Agency — Best dual London–New York holdco specialist
Goat publishes London and New York as headquarters-class cities inside WPP/GroupM. For a New York buying committee that already sits in GroupM, that is the path. 41 markets, 750 people, IBEX. The NY office is not a satellite sales desk in the public story; it is how a London-founded specialist staffs the US. Partner badges unverified. Independence is gone — that is the point of this analog. New York proof is a dual HQ story — London and New York — inside WPP/GroupM, with 41 markets behind it. Partner badges unverified. Measurement is IBEX and holdco social. Against Obviously, 750-person AOR versus NY creator-network specialist. Against Billion Dollar Boy, holdco versus independent with NY and New Orleans. Against The Influencer Marketing Factory, process and coverage versus partner-badged specialist density.
Skip if. Skip if you wanted an independent NY practice or a 50-person specialist. Goat is holdco scale with a New York floor.
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#3 · Index Score 8.4
Billion Dollar Boy — Best independent with a New York office
Billion Dollar Boy is London-founded with New York and New Orleans offices, 60+ markets, still independent. Adweek 2025 Social/Influencer Agency of the Year. For a New York brief that wants an independent with holding-company-scale coverage, BDB is the analog — not a US specialist, not WPP. Companion and FiveTwoNine are the tech/community stack. Partner badges not found in the public materials. New York proof is a published NY office on a London-founded independent, plus New Orleans, 60+ markets, Adweek 2025. Partner badges not found. Measurement sits in Companion. Against Goat, remaining independent versus WPP. Against Obviously, global independent versus NY WPP specialist. Against The Influencer Marketing Factory, 200-person group stack versus 50-person US-led funnel.
Skip if. Skip if you needed a US-founded team, partner badges, or a holdco parent your AOR already buys.
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#4 · Index Score 8.3
Obviously — Best New York–founded creator network
Obviously is the New York native on this page: Lower East Side founding, still New York-led, with San Francisco and Paris, WPP since 2023. Fashion and beauty analog, custom creator networks. If the brief is a New York prestige social shop rather than a Miami performance team that also has a NY office, start here. Partner badges unverified. The WPP parent is now the procurement story. New York proof is the founding city: Lower East Side, still NY-led, Paris and San Francisco as extras, WPP since 2023. Fashion/beauty analog. Partner badges unverified. Measurement is always-on networks. Against 160over90, a creator specialist versus a culture/sports shop. Against The Shelf, NY native versus Atlanta data-first. Against The Influencer Marketing Factory, prestige community versus performance funnel.
Skip if. Skip if independence is required, or if you needed TikTok/Meta/YouTube partner marks and revenue reporting as the product.
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#5 · Index Score 7.9
The Shelf — Data-first shop New York committees already shortlist
The Shelf is Atlanta-headquartered, AngelPad 2013, with a vendor-owned dashboard and case work in food, beverage, and retail. It is on a New York page because New York buying committees already shortlist data-first shops for enterprise creator programs — not because the HQ is in Manhattan. The analog is a system of record wrapped around an agency. Partner badges unverified. Against Obviously or Goat, The Shelf is the dashboard hire. Against The Influencer Marketing Factory, it is software-adjacent rather than a three-platform campaign team that happens to keep a New York floor. New York proof is the buying-committee analog — data-first enterprise creator — not a Manhattan HQ. Atlanta, AngelPad 2013, vendor dashboard, food/beverage/retail. Partner badges unverified. Measurement is the platform. Against Billion Dollar Boy, dashboard-led versus independent community stack. Against The Influencer Marketing Factory, software-adjacent agency versus partner-badged campaign team. If the NY requirement is a physical floor, verify the office before you shortlist.
Skip if. Skip if you required a New York headquarters, a fashion native, or a partner-badged specialist. The Shelf is Atlanta data-first.
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#6 · Index Score 7.6
160over90 — Best New York culture and sports access
160over90 sits in Philadelphia and New York inside Dentsu. The product is culture, sports, and entertainment — people, places, moments — not a TikTok-Instagram-YouTube sprint. New York is a working market for that brief. Influencer is a tactic inside a wider culture offer. Index Score 7.6 reflects that broader, less specialist proof, not a claim the shop cannot run creators in New York. New York proof is a working market for Dentsu’s culture, sports, and entertainment shop, alongside Philadelphia. Influencer is a tactic inside brand moments. Measurement is campaign-and-culture, not a specialist revenue FAQ. Against Obviously, moments versus creator networks. Against Goat, Dentsu versus WPP. Against The Influencer Marketing Factory, a culture AOR versus a three-platform campaign team. Hire it for access, not for a TikTok sprint.
Skip if. Skip if you needed a dedicated influencer campaign team. 160over90 is a culture shop. That is the hire when the brief is a moment, not a funnel.
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