Is egocentric marketing driving away your potential patrons?

Get your customer centricity score and uncover key shifts for moving beyond a product-centric mindset. Start filling those empty seats.

In today’s world, traditional strategies aren’t just outdated—they’re sabotaging your growth.

Ditch the product-first mindset and embrace a customer-centric approach that speaks directly to what consumers crave. When you stop touting features and start meeting needs, you unlock deeper connections—and a broader, more engaged patron base.

  • Customer-Centric Innovation

    Go beyond surface-level metrics, traditional tactics, and quick fixes to transform your organization's foundational strategy—unlocking new revenue streams and paving the way for sustained growth.

  • A Precise Roadmap

    With my signature G-O-L-D framework, centering customer outcomes becomes a strategic compass, aligning efforts across your organization. Its rigorously data-backed approach brings unparalleled precision to your audience development strategy.

  • New Market Expansion

    Through deep qualitative research and market analysis, uncover what matters to your patrons. Validated against national trends, these insights guide you to new, high-impact markets and connect you to a broader audience of motivated and engaged prospects.

  • "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

  • "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

  • "This may well be the salvation that audience-hungry arts marketers are searching for."

    —Trevor O’Donnell, Author of Marketing the Arts to Death

  • “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

  • "...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

  • "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

  • "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

  • “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

  • "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

  • “Thank you for delivering two remarkable presentations. Your work is transformative!”

    —Kevin Eberle-Noel, Executive Director, Redlands Symphony

  • "Your presentation was truly exceptional."

    —Donny Thompson, Executive director, Jazz Outreach Initiative

  • “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

  • "Ruth was an amazing speaker and was incredibly well received."

    —Maggie Plaster, Director of Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Affairs, City of Las Vegas

  • "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

  • “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

Relevance Strategist. Customer Champion.

With one foot in the arts sector and the other in the world of business and innovation, Ruth Hartt is leading the charge to rebuild cultural audiences through the power of customer-centric marketing.

A former opera singer, Ruth brings a deep expertise in customer-centric frameworks and business innovation from seven years with the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.

A wake-up call for arts leaders

  • Between 1982 and 2022, U.S. opera audiences plummeted 77%.

    Source: National Endowment for the Arts

  • Between 1982 and 2022, U.S. classical music audiences declined by 65%.

    Source: National Endowment for the Arts

  • Between 1982 and 2022, U.S. theater audiences dropped 62%.

    Source: National Endowment for the Arts

  • Between 1982 and 2022, U.S. ballet audiences dropped 52%.

    Source: National Endowment for the Arts

  • More than 48% of U.S. consumers don't feel welcome in the classical music world.

    Source: IMPACTS Experience

  • The negative substitution rate in the performance- based sector is 0.904. That’s a 9.6% annual reduction in this sector.

    Source: IMPACTS Experience

  • The negative substitution rate for the exhibit- based sector is 0.968. That’s a 3.2% annual reduction in this sector.

    Source: IMPACTS Experience