Refill those empty seats (even if your budget is tiny)
Harness the customer-centric approach that’s proven to be 60% more profitable than traditional methods. It will change the way you do marketing instantly.
You work in a powerful medium.
You know firsthand the depth of impact that art offers the world. It’s an essential part of a thriving society.
So why are so many arts organizations seeing empty seats and facing closure? Here’s the thing:
The arts sector has relied on product-centric marketing for decades.
This might have worked before the internet, but not anymore.
“Ruth has an extraordinary vision for arts marketing, and the arts sector needs it now.”
—Mark Schaefer, Author, Marketing Rebellion and Belonging to the Brand
In today’s digital world, the traditional approach to arts marketing has become at best, ineffective and at worst—a total turnoff.
Those empty seats underscore the need for change.
Event marketing and artist worship won’t convince consumers that your organization understands them—or that you are offering something they will value.
If you want to refill those empty seats, you’ve got to stop driving away potential patrons with egocentric marketing that ignores them—and start centering the customer.
It’s a pivot that has enabled countless organizations and corporations to unlock impressive growth.
And it’s a pivot that I can help you make.
“Ruth is a champion for your patrons. She sets aside all of the expertise and just asks one simple question: What matters to your customers? It’s revolutionary.”
—Sean Kelly, Founder, VATIC
Let’s be honest:
Working in the arts can be exhausting and stressful. Rewarding, yes, but still incredibly demanding. And the pandemic brought new challenges that persist four years later.
Even your core audiences are not as reliable as they used to be.
You’re tight on time, strapped for resources, and trying to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape on a daily basis.
Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to employ strategies that are proven to reach, attract, and nurture a broader audience.
In other words, less spaghetti and more customer-driven data. Because centering your marketing on patron needs (not organizational needs) means a broader, more diverse, more engaged customer base.
And because nobody has time for guessing in 2024.
Get your stress levels (and your revenue) moving in the right direction.
What if you could transform your marketing without spending a single penny?
Imagine having a simple framework that helped you create engaging, audience-focused ads every time.
Imagine using your marketing to connect your target audiences with something they truly needed in their everyday lives—rather than just trying to sell as many tickets as possible.
That’s the power of customer-centric marketing.
And that’s the secret sauce I help arts leaders achieve.
“There are so many clear and concrete takeaways that organizations can use to guide their own exploration of how to connect more widely and more deeply with present and future audiences.”
—David Prentiss, President & CEO, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra
The lens of customer centricity reveals huge untapped opportunity
We know that 82% of the US population see wellness as a top priority in their lives (McKinsey).
What if US orchestras marketed their offerings not around outputs, but around the wellness outcomes that live orchestral music provides?
If this pivot attracted just 5% of consumers who prioritize wellness,
We’d see an additional 10.7 million attendees annually.
That’s a 62.9% increase. 🤯
You can't afford to sleep on this untapped opportunity.
Learn why this outcomes-based approach works—and how to implement it—in AUDIENCE ALCHEMY.
AUDIENCE ALCHEMY is a six-week, cohort-based program for arts leaders who want to reach a broader audience and sell more tickets.
Immerse yourself in the principles of customer-centric marketing alongside colleagues across disciplines and budget sizes. You’ll walk away with a powerful toolkit of new strategies that are proven to drive growth.
There’s magic in this cohort model.
Not only will you make 20 new friends; you’ll also reap the benefits of cross-pollination with forward-thinking leaders in opera, orchestral music, ballet, chamber music, theater, choral music, and more.
Welcome to Audience Alchemy—
and my signature
G-O-L-D framework
“This is the most useful series I've ever taken. You give us actual, solid, useful information in a down-to-earth way. It's all extremely helpful info that we can implement immediately.
—Conee Sousa, Director of Marketing, New Bedford Symphony Orchestra
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"Ruth has an extraordinary vision for arts marketing, and the arts sector needs it now."
—Mark Schaefer, Author of Marketing Rebellion and Belonging to the Brand
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"For any org wanting to center their customer and community, Ruth's thinking on this topic is hands down the best I've ever seen."
—Aubrey Bergauer, Changing the Narrative
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"This may well be the salvation that audience-hungry arts marketers are searching for."
—Trevor O’Donnell, Author of Marketing the Arts to Death
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“Ruth is a champion for your patrons. She sets aside all of the expertise and just asks one simple question: What matters to your customers? It's revolutionary.”
—Sean Kelly, Founder, Vatic
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"...an incredible thought leader. Ruth's insight is what we need to hear as a sector right now. "
—Sarah Weber, Executive Director, Association of California Symphony Orchestras
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"So grateful that Ruth is not only putting the Jobs to Be Done framework out there, but also providing illustrations on how to enact it."
—Timothy Myers, Music Director, Austin Opera and Music Director, Spoleto Festival USA
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"Ruth ignited our marketing, development, programming and venue hire teams with excellent, tangible recommendations that will now play a critical role in the important work that defines Melbourne Recital Centre’s next chapter."
—Latoyah Forsyth, Head of Marketing and Visitor Experience, Melbourne Recital Centre
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“The room was vibrating during Ruth’s Chorus America plenary...lightbulbs were going off, pens were furiously writing.”
—Alex Gartner, Artistic & Executive Director, Pensacola Children’s Chorus
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"If you don't yet follow Ruth Hartt, drop everything and follow. A superhero in all things marketing and perspectives!"
—Holly Mulcahy, Concertmaster, Wichita Symphony and founder, Arts Capacty
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“Thank you for delivering two remarkable presentations. Your work is transformative!”
—Kevin Eberle-Noel, Executive Director, Redlands Symphony
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"Your presentation was truly exceptional."
—Donny Thompson, Executive director, Jazz Outreach Initiative
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“Ruth is a breath of fresh air. She cuts through traditional jargon and bias to focus on solid, practical solutions. Her commitment to a patron-first approach empowers managers across all departments to drive real results.”
—Drew McManus, CEO, UpStage Technologies
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"Ruth was an amazing speaker and was incredibly well received."
—Maggie Plaster, Director of Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Affairs, City of Las Vegas
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"You were spectacular and opened up a host of necessary questions with which we need to grapple. It was a terrific session."
—Nick Adams, Executive Director, Cantata Singers
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“This is one of the most, if not the most, important presentations in my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
—Thomas Cooke, President, Voce
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
Evaluate current marketing strategies through the lens of customer centricity
Establish customer-centric strategies proven to increase engagement, build brand reputation, and deepen patron loyalty
Develop marketing content that resonates deeply with today’s consumer and makes your art relevant for them
Foster alignment across departments through a shared focus on the customer
Implement touchpoints across the entire customer journey (and not just for your core patrons!)
“I thought I was doing an acceptable job of marketing…Ruth's course showed me how wrong I was—and what I can do to improve, step by step. Every arts organization, from tiny nonprofits to esteemed legacy groups, can benefit from Ruth's research, analysis, and leadership.”
—Eden Casteel (course participant, January 2024)
Master my signature
G-O-L-D framework
Audience Alchemy participants will be guided through my four-step roadmap to audience growth. You’ll learn how to implement best practices in customer-centric strategy, focusing on four essential pillars:
“Excellent ideas, presentation, and small group discussions with heads of other arts organizations. Provided me with critical ideas for my group, which we will immediately discuss for implementation.”
—Course participant, January 2024
HAVE WE BEEN INTRODUCED?
Hi, I’m Ruth Hartt
I spent nearly two decades in the arts sector as an opera singer and music educator.
In 2017, I made a major pivot, leaving the arts to find a career with more job security.
By sheer luck, I landed in the world of Harvard Business School, and met world-renowned business thinker Clayton Christensen.
Clay’s innovation frameworks totally transformed the way I thought about audience development.
He made me realize we’ve been doing it all backwards—but also gave me new hope that we actually could reverse the audience declines that have plagued us for decades.
Now I’m on a mission to bridge the worlds of business innovation and the arts.
Drawing on 23 years’ experience in the nonprofit and cultural sectors, I help arts leaders rethink the status quo to unlock growth.
You may have heard me at:
You’ve got questions.
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Audience Alchemy pricing is structured in budget-friendly tiers and ranges from $564 to $1999.
Click here to find the price that aligns with your organization’s annual budget.
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Yes. You can spread your payments over three months. Prefer this option? Reach out and I'll send you the installment link.
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The course will be presented live online via Zoom. Replays and additional course materials will be hosted on the Circle platform.
The summer 2024 cohort will run every Tuesday from July 9 to August 13, starting at 12pm EST. Sessions will run 1-2 hours long.
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All sessions will be recorded for those who are unable to join us live
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In addition to our six live sessions, you will have very light homework to help you integrate key takeaways
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Every member of your team will have access to the course materials and community forum for one full year.
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In Circle, our course platform, we will use a community forum to interact with each other.
Participants will have access to this forum for 12 months. (Think 20 built-in accountability partners/cheerleaders 🎉!)
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This course is a combination of presentation, group discussion, small group breakouts, virtual polls, videos, and downloadable resources.
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You and your team will have unlimited access to course materials for one year. Once you complete the program, you’ll unlock a special invite into the Audience Alchemy Collective, a group coaching program.
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You must register before July 2 at 11:59pm EST if you want to join the July/August cohort.
Is this for me?
Audience Alchemy is a great fit if…
✅ You need fresh ideas that cost nothing to implement
✅ You don’t have the resources for a full-fledged consulting project
✅ You thrive in a collaborative, cohort-style program
✅ You want to get your team thinking in new ways
Here’s what’s waiting for you inside Audience Alchemy:
Six modules packed with perspective shifting frameworks
Group discussions with colleagues across disciplines and budget sizes
Downloadable checklists + worksheets to help integrate key takeaways
Access to all course content + our community forum for a full year—for your entire team
Transformative insight doesn’t need to break the bank
Audience Alchemy pricing is structured in budget-friendly tiers and ranges from $1999 to $564:
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Budgets $900-$999K → $1767
Budgets $1M-$9M → $1784
Budgets $10M+ → $1999
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Budgets <$700K → $1499
Budgets <$800K → $1556
Budgets < $900K → $1698
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Budgets < $400K → $1216
Budgets < $500K → $1273
Budgets < $600K → $1414
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Individuals → $564
Budgets < $100K → $564
Budgets < $200K → $847
Budgets < $300K → $1131
But wait—check out the bonuses that are included:
100 Customer-Centric Prompts to help you start crafting more relevant copy right away [a $19 value]
A web-based overview of the customer journey, the marketing funnel + touchpoint examples for each phase [a $199 value]
My 40-page slide deck distilling data from 40 years of the NEA’s Survey of Public Participation in the Arts
[a $29 value]
A full year subscription to the Arts Marketing Hall of Fame for daily marketing inspo [a $99 value]
Here’s what the whole package looks like:
✓ Six modules packed with perspective-shifting frameworks & actionable strategies
✓ Group discussions with colleagues across disciplines and budget sizes
✓ Downloadable worksheets to help integrate key takeaways
✓ Video replay of each session in case you can’t attend live
✓ A dedicated learning platform and community forum to grow your network and continue the convo between sessions
✓ Org access to course content + community forum for one year
Plus four huge bonuses:
✓ 100 Customer-Centric Prompts [a $19 value]
✓ A web-based overview of the customer journey and marketing funnel with examples for each phase [a $199 value]
✓ My 40-page slide deck distilling 40 years of arts attendance data from the NEA [a $29 value]
✓ A full year subscription to the Arts Marketing Hall of Fame for daily marketing inspo [a $99 value]
Ready to Register?
Scroll down to select your budget tier.
“Your pre-conference seminar was terrific. I heard participants referencing it throughout the three days of the conference.”
—David Styers, League of American Orchestras
“Every arts organization needs to be asking the questions Ruth raises in these workshops.”
—Course participant, January 2024
Enroll in Audience Alchemy
Audience Alchemy pricing is structured in budget-friendly tiers and ranges from $1999 to $564. (Ask about my BIPOC/ALAANA discount.)
Individuals
I’m paying out of pocket—
my org is not footing the bill
$564
Six live sessions
Group discussions + breakouts
Video replays of each session
Community forum
Access + accountability
check-ins for 12 months
Plus 4 huge bonuses
Join the waitlist below
Small-budget orgs
My organization’s annual
budget is below $600k
$564+
Six live sessions
Group discussions + breakouts
Video replays of each session
Community forum
Access + accountability
check-ins for 12 months
Plus 4 huge bonuses
Includes access for your whole organization
Join the waitlist below
Mid- to large-budget orgs
My organization’s annual
budget is above $600k
$1414+
Six live sessions
Group discussions + breakouts
Video replays of each session
Community forum
Access + accountability
check-ins for 12 months
Plus 4 huge bonuses
Includes access for your entire organization
Join the waitlist below
Prefer to spread your payment over a three month period?*
3-payment plan for individuals | 3-payment plan for orgs < $600k | 3-payment plan for orgs > $600k
*Installment plan prices include a 2% convenience fee
Can’t wait to see you inside!
MY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
100% RISK FREE
When you join Audience Alchemy, you’re welcomed into a space that’s got everything you need to uplevel your approach to marketing and audience development.
But even though I know this program is packed with value—you deserve the chance to enroll with full confidence that your investment will pay off.
Upon completing Session #4, if you don’t feel that you’ve gained a clear and actionable path forward for growing your patron base—send me an email by EOD and I’ll provide you with a full refund.
It’s as simple as that. No strings attached, no forms to fill out, no questions asked.
P.S. Your target audience is not what you think
If you’ve been targeting audiences by age, ethnicity, income, gender—or even past purchase history—and haven’t been seeing results, it’s time for a game-changing shift in strategy.
It’s time to start targeting consumers not by their demographic characteristics, but by the outcomes they seek.
The beauty of this approach? It transcends traditional market categories, making your offerings more compelling to a much broader audience.
🚫 Stop alienating potential patrons with egocentric marketing.
🚫 Stop spending time and resources on marketing that falls flat.
Instead, focus on the strategies that drive higher customer satisfaction, reduce churn, and boost your brand's reputation.
Ready to make this shift?
Start creating marketing that actually speaks to a broader audience—instead of just to Insiders—
and start driving audience growth.
“I have spent the past 35 years helping PhD students prepare effective presentations. I want to congratulate you on doing such a great job in all respects— the ideas, examples, visuals, interaction with the participants, pacing, etc.”
—Course participant, January 2024
“I left the workshop with specific plans for building better communications with existing and potential audience members.”
—Course participant, January 2024
“That example video ad you made blew my MIND. I needed to SEE that in order to understand how to customer-centrize my own projects and for my clients.”
—Course participant, January 2024