Case Study · Cigna Healthcare
Stabilising Eloqua deliverability and modernising campaign operations
Cigna Healthcare needed Eloqua support across day to day campaigns, database health, Salesforce sync reliability and new integrations. Their database was old, unclean and causing serious bounceback and deliverability issues.
My work focused on stabilisation, smarter delivery methods and modernising key integrations.
Client background
Cigna Healthcare operate globally with more than 70,000 employees, supporting the health, wellness and mental wellbeing of millions of customers. Their marketing operations span multiple products, regions and regulatory environments.
Their Eloqua platform, however, was suffering. Years of inherited data, poor database hygiene and a degraded SFDC sync meant deliverability had become unpredictable and campaign reporting increasingly unstable.
At a glance
- Industry: Healthcare
- Region: Global
- Role: Eloqua developer & consultant
- Focus: Deliverability, SFDC sync, SMS integration
The challenge
Cigna Healthcare needed reliable, high quality Eloqua support — but their biggest enemy was their own database. Bouncebacks were severe, temporary blocks were being triggered on corporate mail gateways and the SFDC sync was barely holding together.
An old, low quality database
Large portions of the contact base were incomplete, outdated or invalid. This caused dangerously high bounceback rates and risked damaging sender reputation.
A failing Eloqua-SFDC sync
Their integration was out of alignment and out of date, causing sync failures, incorrect field updates and distorted reporting. Campaign performance could not be trusted.
My approach
I approached the work on two fronts: stabilising day to day campaigns so Cigna could keep communicating safely, and modernising the integration stack so the platform would become reliable again.
Step 1
Smart throttling for safe delivery
Using the final digit of Eloqua Contact IDs, I bucketed data sources into five rotational groups. Emails were sent in 10-minute staggered waves, allowing early detection of toxic data before it triggered enterprise-level blocks.
Step 2
SFDC Integration rebuild
The existing sync had deteriorated. I redesigned key components of the integration to restore data reliability, improve sync speed and ensure marketing and sales were seeing the same truth.
Step 3
Twilio SMS Integration
Built and configured a Twilio integration for SMS messaging inside Eloqua. This opened new channels for follow up, webinar reminders and mobile-first engagement.
These improvements allowed campaigns to continue safely while the underlying platform became more stable and future proof.
Impact
- Campaigns stabilised despite severe database health issues.
- Temporary deliverability blocks were prevented through smart throttling.
- Salesforce integration became more reliable, improving reporting.
- SMS became a new operational channel for reminders and follow up.
- The team regained confidence in sending campaigns.
In my words
Sadly, due to personal circumstances, I had to end my engagement with Cigna Healthcare earlier than planned. They were patient, kind and incredibly understanding during one of the hardest moments of my life. I appreciate them more than they probably realise. I hope the work I delivered gave them stability during a challenging period for both of us.
- Greg Staunton
Need an Eloqua partner who can steady the ship
If your Eloqua database, deliverability or Salesforce sync is causing real operational pain, I can help diagnose the problems and rebuild the platform so you can market with confidence again.