# How can we help?

## Overview

Using Smarty and contact attributes, you can randomly add contacts to a group when a message sends. You can then perform actions such as filtering stats, building audiences, and adding personalization based on a contact's group assignment.

This is useful for testing multiple messages over time to a static group of contacts selected at random. For example, you can create a welcome series and test a consistent promotion (percentage vs dollar discount) to each group across several messages within the series.

## Our example

Upon message send, the following code example will:

- Randomly populate a contact attribute named `group` with a value of A or B for each contact.
- Render HTML message content based on the `group` value for each contact.
- Create a stats filter send tag named with the `group` value.

```
{if $contact.group != 'A' && $contact.group != 'B'}
   {$data.random="{math equation='rand(min, max)' min=1 max=2}"}
   {if $data.random == 1}
      {$contact.group = 'A'}
      {$utils->updateContact(['group'=>$contact.group])}
   {else}
      {$contact.group = 'B'}
      {$utils->updateContact(['group'=>$contact.group])}
   {/if}
{/if}

{if $contact.group == 'A'}
   {$utils->addSendTag($contact.group)}
   <!--HTML  Content-->
{/if}

{if $contact.group == 'B'}
   {$utils->addSendTag($contact.group)}
   <!--HTML  Content-->
{/if}
```

## Add a contact to a group

1. Create a new [contact attribute](https://support.cordial.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005528368-Contact-Attributes) and name it `group`.

2. Randomly populate the group attribute for each contact with a value of A or B when the message sends using the following Smarty:

```
{if $contact.group != 'A' && $contact.group != 'B'}
   {$data.random="{math equation='rand(min, max)' min=1 max=2}"}
   {if $data.random == 1}
      {$contact.group = 'A'}
      {$utils->updateContact(['group'=>$contact.group])}
   {else}
      {$contact.group = 'B'}
      {$utils->updateContact(['group'=>$contact.group])}
   {/if}
{/if}
```

3. When the message sends, the Smarty code above will check to see if the contact has a value of A or B for the group attribute. If not, it will randomly select either A or B and update the contact with that value.

### Use stats filters with groups

Append the Smarty code above with the additional code below to create a stats filter send tag named with the group value for each contact.

```
{if $contact.group == 'A'}
   {$utils->addSendTag($contact.group)}
   <!--HTML  Content-->
{/if}

{if $contact.group == 'B'}
   {$utils->addSendTag($contact.group)}
   <!--HTML  Content-->
{/if}
```

By placing your message HTML within the {if} statement for each group, you can send unique content for group A and group B. To keep code clean and manageable, you can also use [HTML content includes](https://support.cordial.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005531308-HTML-Content) to render the code within the {if} statements.

## View the message stats

After sending the message, you can filter the message stats using stats filters.

1. On the [Message Performance page](https://support.cordial.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005532248), scroll down to the **Stats Filters** section and add each of the stats filter send tags that were created by the Smarty code. Our example created the tags A and B.

The image below shows the results of our message performance with the stats filters applied.

### Compare message stats across multiple messages

Using this strategy, you can compare message stats for multiple messages to see which group is performing best. For example, you can create a [welcome series](https://support.cordial.com/hc/en-us/articles/227853687) and compare how content for group A performs against group B. You can then make content decisions based on the performance.

This works similar to creating an [experiment](https://support.cordial.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005532948) with a split test strategy; however, the split group in experiments is unique for each message. The technique outlined in this article allows you to maintain a static group assignment for contacts over time.

## Segmentation and personalization using groups

Now that you have contacts assigned to each group, you can communicate with them according to their group assignment.

For example, Group A could be receiving a specific promotion based on a percentage, while Group B is receiving a promotion based on a specific dollar amount. You can segment and personalize based on these group assignments, analyze stats, and make decisions based on performance.

### Audience configuration based on groups

Below is an example of an audience configuration that targets contacts in group A that have received the first welcome message in a series.

### Personalization based on random groups

Below is an example of Smarty that will render HTML based on a contact's group assignment.

```
{if $contact.group == 'A'}
   <!--HTML  Content-->
{elseif $contact.group == 'B'}
   <!--HTML  Content-->
{/if}
```