"Next Date" type token using scripting?

Hi Rachel,

The answer really depends on the needed level of sophistication in the email.

Is that value in your email always going to be a specific day and time in the future that's unique to the program (like join us for a demo on May 27th), or do you want to automatically calculate a 'next demo' value with some date math and display that?

If it's the former, one method would be to make a program level text token, such as '{{my.NextDemoDate}}' and put a value there appropriate to the demo email you're sending. You'd have to make editing that token value part of your email development process. This relies exclusively in human input, so it has the benefits and drawbacks associated with that.

If it's the latter, Velocity Script is a good method. Here's one we use to dynamically calculate a 'start date' for one of our programs.

#set($x = $date.toDate("MMM d, yyyy", $lead.SamplePilotProgramStartDate))

#set($dayOfWeek = $date.format('E', $x))

#set($y = $date.toCalendar($x))

#if ( $dayOfWeek == "Thu" )

## Add 96 hours

$y.add(10,96)

#elseif ( $dayOfWeek == "Fri" )

## Add 96 hours

$y.add(10,96)

#elseif ( $dayOfWeek == "Sat" )

## Add 72 hours

$y.add(10,72)

#else

## Add 48 hours

$y.add(10,48)

#end

## Writes the date

#set($z = $date.format('MMMM dd, yyyy', $date.toDate($y)))

## Show end result

$z

In a nutshell the script is a big ELSE IF statement that loops through to change the output that gets displayed in the token. We detect what day it is when the Marketo trigger executes the email send, and conditionally change the output. Right now, this script keys off of a specific custom field, "SamplePilotProgramStartDate," the value of which we establish via form fill. But that can be practically anything you want. Also note that you probably don't need to be as specific as we are with the #elseif clauses for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so feel free to modify the script as necessary.

Hope that helps! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.