How CAPE Is Rewriting the Rules of Full-Service Creativity | Interview with Co-Founders & Leadership Team

1.    With the rise of full-service agencies, how do you see the integration of diverse creative disciplines influencing brand storytelling?

MIMI: Full-service only works when the different disciplines actually work together. And that takes more than just process. It takes empathy. Our clients don’t move in straight lines, so we build systems that can flex with them. That means staying close, understanding how they really work, and supporting real-time, multiplatform storytelling.

CASEY: And it’s not just about having all the parts. It’s about when and how you use them. Integration isn’t just structure, it’s flow. It has to feel like a symphony, not a checklist.

PETE: Totally. The tighter the team, the tighter the story. You feel it when it works. No seams. No translation gaps. Just clarity. And the more integrated we are with each other, and with our client partners, the easier it is to get there.

2.    What challenges and opportunities arise when balancing data-driven insights with creative intuition in marketing strategies?

CASEY: The challenge is thinking data should hand you the answer. It doesn’t. It just helps you ask better questions and bring you the insight that makes the idea smarter.

MIMI: Exactly. Data helps us see the shape of the opportunity. But turning that into something meaningful takes judgment. You still have to make choices, take risks, and push for ideas that move people

PETE: Data is like a flashlight, not a map. It shows you where to look. But then you gotta walk into the dark and make something. Without it, you just… you end up where everyone else already is.

3.    How have client expectations shifted in recent years, and how should agencies adapt to meet these new demands?

MIMI: Clients want fewer layers, faster thinking, and real collaboration. That means showing up with smart ideas that move their business forward, not our own agendas. We built CAPE to move fast and go deep, so the work isn’t just quick; it’s right

CASEY: And clients don’t want vendors. They want partners. People who show up with ideas before being asked. Who aren’t just watching the brief, but watching their business.

PETE:  They want to know we’re thinking alongside them. Like, if you send over a deck and disappear for two weeks, that’s not a partnership. That’s homework.  We need to collaborate, iterate, and work together with audience data to get to the best outcomes… both creatively and for the business.  The two are completely interlinked when you work like this.

4.    How important is it for agencies to cultivate a culture that encourages both creative risk-taking and accountability?

CASEY: You can’t have one without the other. Risk with no accountability is chaos. Accountability with no risk? That’s wallpaper. And we’re not here to play it safe. But we are here to be sharp.

PETE: Yeah, you want a team that swings big but owns the outcome. If something flops, we say "cool, what did we learn?" and move on. No scar tissue, but one brick on top of another.

MIMI: We talk about the small mistakes out loud. It keeps us sharp, keeps us honest, and shows the team that taking smart risks is part of the deal. If we want the best work, we’ve got to make room for a few missteps—and learn from them fast.

5.    How can agencies prepare for the increasing demand for personalized and immersive brand experiences?

MIMI: Modularity. You need creative that flexes across channels, audiences, and contexts and a system behind it that knows how to serve it up.

CASEY: Right. For CAPE it’s about programming to the ecosystem. Personalization isn’t about making 1,000 versions of something. It’s about making the right one show up at the right moment. It’s about thinking natively within each medium, allowing for something more engaging, more natural and ultimately a better, more immersive experience.

PETE: We’ve built a responsive creative ad system for this exact need.  I don’t want to give away too much that’s proprietary, but we’re building creative assets that actually adapts to, and leverages modern media that… I’ve said too much.  Just ask us for our MoCA case study.

6.    What advice would you offer to emerging leaders aiming to navigate and succeed in the evolving creative industry?

MIMI: It’s easy to get caught up in chasing wins. But if you’re not helping your clients grow, it won’t last. Stay close to what they need. That’s how the work gets better and the business follows.

CASEY: Stay curious. Learn both sides of the business. If you can speak "client" and "creative," you have a more valuable perspective.

PETE: Be someone people want in the room. Not just because you’re smart, but because you listen, you can understand how businesses work, and you’re making the work better. That stuff matters more than you think.