Keeping Advocacy Thriving During Maternity Leave: How Amplitude Navigated Team Transitions with Ease

Amplitude’s customer advocacy program faced a sudden vacuum; the director prepared for maternity leave, the only remaining team member exited, and one of the company’s most business-critical functions was left without dedicated leadership. Advocacy at Amplitude is far from a background initiative, it drives deals, influences product strategy, and underpins brand credibility. To keep the program running at full force, Amplitude turned to Captivate Collective, a trusted partner that stepped in to maintain momentum and turn a transition moment into a growth opportunity.

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Summary

Advocacy Cannot Hit Pause: Even during critical absences, programs must continue to sustain revenue impact and customer trust.
Trusted Partners Safeguard Continuity: External experts like Captivate Collective ensure seamless execution when internal bandwidth disappears.
Stability Enables Innovation: Beyond maintaining momentum, Amplitude leveraged the transition to enhance advocacy programs.
Results Prove the Model: G2 rankings and customer engagement metrics improved despite resource constraints.
Partnership Fuels Long-Term Growth: Captivate’s support provided relief in the moment and a stronger foundation for scaling advocacy.

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Customer advocacy is often a quiet engine behind business growth, providing stories, references, and product feedback that drive credibility and revenue. At Amplitude (a leading digital analytics platform) it is anything but quiet, it’s the backbone of marketing and sales.

So when Director of Customer Advocacy Aly McGue prepared for maternity leave, and her only team member left the organization, leadership faced a daunting reality: advocacy couldn’t pause, but the people running it were suddenly gone.

The Advocacy Program That Couldn’t Hit Pause

Advocacy at Amplitude isn’t just another program, it touches nearly every deal cycle, shapes product strategy, and amplifies the brand’s credibility in the market. Losing momentum wasn’t an option. Yet with no dedicated team in place, the responsibility fell to Darah Easton, Director of Communications, who suddenly had to juggle customer advocacy alongside her full-time role.

“I was pretty overwhelmed,” admits Darah. “Advocacy is crucial to our organization. It’s at the heart of almost everything we do.”

Pro Tip: Don’t underestimate the impact of temporary absences in critical roles. Plan ahead to minimize disruption, maintain continuity, and keep teams aligned.

A Trusted Solution as Captivate Collective Steps In

Instead of launching into a lengthy hiring process, Amplitude turned to Captivate Collective, an experienced partner Aly had trusted across multiple advocacy initiatives.

"Honestly, hiring for short-term needs wasn't feasible," Aly explains. “Captivate Collective knew my program inside-out. They could quickly step in and deliver at the high standard we needed.”

The Captivate team integrated seamlessly, quickly becoming Amplitude's trusted extension. Their proactive approach to taking program ownership was essential in maintaining and even enhancing critical programs. For instance, they not only maintained key activities like the customer story program, reference calls, and the crucial quarterly G2 reviews, but they also introduced new internal resources, such as the Customer Advocacy Center on Confluence, significantly streamlining internal communication.

“They didn’t just keep the lights on,” says Darah. “They challenged us to rethink and enhance our programs.”

Smooth Transitions, Measurable Success

Captivate's involvement wasn't just about continuity, it delivered measurable results and tangible relief. Quarterly G2 rankings, a critical advocacy metric for Amplitude, improved significantly: “Not only did we remain number one in product analytics, but we increased the number of categories where we ranked first,” Darah reports proudly.

Moreover, the onboarding of a new team member happened smoothly, even with Aly absent. Captivate Collective provided vital hands-on training, ensuring the new hire ramped up rapidly and confidently.

When Aly returned, she found the situation vastly different from previous experiences at other companies. “I returned not to chaos but to a well-oiled machine. That peace of mind was invaluable.”

A Lasting Partnership, Ready for Growth

Both Aly and Darah emphasized the personal and professional value of their Captivate partnership, highlighting how critical their support had been. Not just operationally, but strategically.

“We've even extended our relationship with Captivate into the next year because their contribution became indispensable,” says Darah.

Aly echoed this sentiment, underlining her confidence in future collaborations. “Captivate Collective gave us the foundation to grow and scale our advocacy program further. I’ll continue to partner with them as our advocacy organization as Amplitude scales.”

Looking Ahead: Advocacy at Scale

With Aly’s return and Captivate Collective's continued involvement, Amplitude was now poised to build on the foundation laid during this critical transition. Far from merely keeping programs afloat, Amplitude used the maternity leave as an opportunity to elevate and refine their advocacy efforts.

In Aly's words, the result has been clear: "They've taken my programs to the next level. It’s more than just execution. They brought strategic ideas, excellent operational support, and genuine peace of mind."

Thanks to strategic planning and a trusted partnership, Amplitude proved that critical transitions and extended absences don’t have to lead to chaos and stress. With the right partners, they can be a catalyst for growth.