About Us

Susan J. Getgood, Principal

Susan Getgood has been involved in online marketing since the early 90s, and watched the web evolve from the first browsers to the interactive communities we participate in today. Since 2004, her firm GetGood Strategic Marketing has been advising organizations of all shapes and sizes on integrated social media and marketing strategies that will help them meet their customers online, build their brands and drive revenue. Prior to that, Susan was Senior Vice President of Marketing at Internet software company SurfControl. Her professional blog is Marketing Roadmaps. She also writes a personal photo blog, Snapshot Chronicles and contributes to a number of group blogs. Susan was named a Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research in 2008 and speaks regularly at social media conferences like BlogHer and New Comm Forum.

Some of the highlights of her corporate career include:

1. Launched the Cyber Patrol brand and established it as the #1 Web filter used by families and schools worldwide, and by AOL, AT&T, CompuServe, Novell and others to protect their customers.
2. Achieved a 20% market share (top of the market) for SurfControl’s Web filter software and grew the E-mail Filter 94% in its first full year on the market, nearly double the segment growth (57%) and increasing market share from 2% to 4.4% within a highly fragmented market that was just beginning consolidation.
3. Revitalized an acquired division (Cyber Patrol) and presented a business case that led to its sale to JSB/SurfControl for $100 million, nearly 10x what The Learning Company had paid when it acquired the unit.
4. Led PR strategies for Cyber Patrol, The Learning Company and SurfControl that resulted in millions of people per month learning about the respective companies and their products in print, broadcast and online, including the NY Times, CNN, USA Today, Reuters, Associated Press, Investor’s Business Daily, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, IDG News Service, Computer Reseller News, C/net, Network World, Network Computing, CBS and MSNBC.
5. Defended the Cyber Patrol intellectual property in federal court after two hackers reversed engineered the product (prohibited in the license agreement) and published their hack on web sites worldwide. Managed the international PR around the lawsuit to focus on the business aspects of the case and the violation of intellectual property rights. Prevailed in court and reached a successful settlement with the hackers.
6. Testified before Congress and the FTC on Internet safety and privacy, and joined a panel (December, 1997) at the White House Summit on Children’s Safety that discussed Internet filtering issues.

Memberships/Affiliations:

1. American Marketing Association (AMA)
2. Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
3. Society for New Communications Research (SNCR)
4. Boston Interactive Media Association (BIMA)
5. Scottish Terrier Club of America (STCA)
6. Scottish Terrier Club of New England (STCNE)
7. New England Terrier Club
8. Ladies Dog Club (Board Member)
9. Andover Abbot Association of New England (AAANE)
10. Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce
11. Hudson Education Foundation (Vice President)
12. AVCOC Women’s Business Advisory Council

Speaking Engagements