Outcome Study: Lumen Creative

Project Snapshot

Client: Lumen Creative

Sector: Creative & Professional Services

Location: United States

Challenge: Growth had stalled. Relying on referrals left the agency reactive, unfocused, and struggling with shrinking profitability.

Outcome: By analysing years of past projects, we uncovered their most profitable niche, rebuilt their sales and delivery approach, and increased average project profitability by 25% while securing a steady flow of ideal-fit clients.

A Creative Agency Losing Momentum

Lumen Creative had built its reputation as a dependable creative partner, producing thoughtful work for a wide mix of clients. For years, referrals kept the pipeline full. But referrals don’t scale forever.

As more agencies crowded the market, Lumen found themselves competing harder for projects that weren’t always worth the effort. Without a clear sales strategy, they accepted whatever work came their way. The result was unpredictable revenue, overworked teams, and margins that kept sliding.

The founders weren’t short on creativity, but they were stuck in the grind of delivery, with little time left for steering the business forward. Growth had flatlined.

What We Found

When we plugged Lumen’s historical project data into our platform, the story became clear. Years of briefs, timesheets, invoices, and client records revealed patterns that had been hidden in plain sight:

• Profitability gaps: Some client types consistently delivered healthy returns, while others barely broke even after time and overruns.

• Scope creep: Projects often ran over budget because there was no standardised way to keep work within boundaries.

• Reactive sales: With no lead generation engine, they relied on word of mouth and filled gaps with poor-fit work.

• Leadership overload: Founders were pulled into daily firefighting instead of shaping the agency’s future.

The real problem wasn’t a lack of leads. It was a lack of focus.

How We Fixed It

Together with the leadership team, we rebuilt Lumen’s business model around evidence instead of intuition.

1. Uncovered their sweet spot: The analysis identified a clear niche where margins were three times higher than average and client satisfaction was strongest.

2. Focused their sales strategy: We redesigned their new business approach to target only ideal-fit clients, with positioning and proposals built around the work they delivered best.

3. Systemised delivery: We created a standardised project framework based on their most successful past work, reducing scope creep and stabilising profitability across all engagements.

The Outcomes

The change was fast and measurable:

• Record new wins from clients in their high-margin niche.

• 25% increase in project profitability by focusing on the right work and tightening delivery.

• Improved client retention, as happier clients came back for repeat engagements.

• Founders freed from daily firefighting, with time to focus on strategy and growth.

A Founder’s Reflection

“We thought we needed more leads. What we actually needed was direction. CoreTheorem showed us which clients and projects were really profitable, and gave us the system to focus on them. It completely changed how we run the business.”

Why It Matters

Lumen’s story shows how creative agencies can break free from the referral trap. By uncovering their most profitable niche and building systems to win and deliver that work consistently, they shifted from survival mode to strategic growth.

That is Outcome Intelligence in action: turning hidden data into a business model that lasts.

---

Disclaimer: The company names, characters, and identifying details used in these Outcome Stories are anonymised unless explicitly stated otherwise. Each story is derived from real client engagements and represents a synthesis of data, insights, and results drawn from CoreTheorem’s work with businesses in similar contexts. Figures, timelines, and outcomes are based on actual performance data but may be generalised, aggregated, or adjusted for confidentiality. Any resemblance to specific individuals or organisations, living or defunct, is coincidental where names are not disclosed with permission. Images, trademarks, and design elements remain the property of their respective owners and are used here solely for illustrative purposes. These stories are intended for informational use only and do not constitute guarantees of future performance or results.