Genevieve Hauck, Marketing Communications Manager at STQRY
Genevieve Hauck joined the STQRY team in 2019. Everyday she plays a crucial role in delivering STQRY’s message to museums, historic sites, parks, tour operators, and other organizations looking to improve the accessibility of their services through technology.
Over the last two years, Genevieve has been rebranding the company from OnCell to STQRY and creating new strategies to show the world what the STQRY Builder can do, while helping clients step into the digital era with her expertise. This week, we sat down with Genevieve and talked about her journey as an art enthusiast, museum expert and now SaaS marketing specialist.
Working in arts management had always been Genevieve’s passion. Beginning in high school, she attended art classes outside of regular classroom hours while participating in college business courses and competing in international business competitions. This led her to further study Communications and Public Relations mixed with a Studio Art minor during her undergraduate degree. By the time she had graduated with her bachelor’s degree, Genevieve had completed seven internships in several different museum and development positions. During her final internship at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, she worked closely with the director of External Affairs. “My internship included many marketing tasks that I still do today. It was such a fun experience connecting with global museum-goers and being able to constantly express my passion for the arts industry and collections The Met had to offer. ”
Apart from being an art enthusiast, Genevieve also enjoys traveling. Her love of travel began her junior year of college when she went to study art in Florence, Italy, where she fell in love with the city’s vibrant culture and artistic flair.
“During my second week in Italy, I called my family and told them I was going to move there after college to obtain my master’s degree. My family thought I was joking at first, but I spent my entire senior year of college fixated on this goal and ultimately got accepted into an Arts Management and Administration program at SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy. It was there that I lived and studied for two years with students from all over the world and saw the true impact the arts had by bringing people from all different backgrounds together."
However, Genevieve also saw a problem within the industry that she had a desire to help change – the art industry’s reputation problem. “Growing up in a family being one of the only ones interested in art, I know firsthand that many people don’t often go into a museum or gallery because they feel as though certain places or types of art can be too exclusive or lack an explanation they crave. For example, on a trip to New York City in 2017, I took my mom to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She never enjoyed Modern Art much, so I walked her through my favorite section and explained each piece and background of the artists. By the end of the trip, my mom expressed that the tour gave her an entirely new perspective on Modern Art and that she enjoyed a private experience she could do at her own pace. That way she could learn more about the pieces, past what was written on the wall label. Right then, it clicked. My mom didn't dislike Modern Art, she just needed to learn about it in a different way; her own way. She craved further explanation and context. I felt as though digital technology was the key to breaking down these barriers and helping everyone feel welcome to enjoy the arts and come together to learn.” Genevieve then began her research during grad school into how museums could adapt and reach wider audiences using different types of technology.
After discovering STQRY’s impact on the arts and cultural industry, she decided to reach out and began her journey with the company working in client management.
Following the conversation, we discussed with Genevieve her experience working at STQRY, and the future of the arts industry.
What is your favorite thing about working at STQRY?
I talk to organizations I love every single day with an educational approach, voicing the positive impact of our solutions. At STQRY, my belief of technology’s role in improving art accessibility and being more inclusive all came to fruition.
With your comprehensive knowledge of the art industry, what do you think the future looks like for museums?
It comes down to how COVID-19 has now shaped the industry. Many museums were not fully prepared for the pandemic, the wave of remote learning and the increased need to educate digitally. This could have been a bandwidth issue or even a budget issue.
In terms of the future, museums are going to bounce back just fine and moving forward, we will see many digital advancements in museums and experiences alike. COVID-19 has changed people’s perspective on technology, but I think it is important to note that technology is not here to replace the in-person or docent guided experience, but to enhance it, and help museums adapt to the different ways people learn.
How does STQRY help to achieve digital transformation for museums and tour operators?
Digital experiences for cultural organizations are incredibly daunting. Museums especially can have a lot of red tape weighing on the chance to modernize. When people consider creating a digital experience, they have to look at all the obstacles, such as budget, time to implement, and their existing IT capabilities.
However, STQRY eliminates more than half of these worries. You can also avoid issues around intellectual property because we do not own any content. It's also perfect if your museum has temporary exhibitions or if things are always changing because users can just go into the platform, change information, hit publish, and everything is updated immediately. The same goes for the tourism industry, if you are constantly updating your tours.
To sum it up, we are the one-size-fits-all solution for cultural and tourism organizations alike.
Where do you see STQRY in 5 years?
I have seen so much growth during my time at STQRY. We are always looking forward in terms of new features we can offer to help clients achieve their missions and over time our brand will continue to become more refined. We rebranded in 2020, but I already feel as though we have curated a strong brand with a positive message and our team are some of the most genuine people. This makes my job easy because I am marketing a company, product, and team I truly believe in.