Impel adds WhatsApp messaging to AI-Powered Customer Lifecycle Management Platform
Integration enables global auto retailers and OEMs to deliver AI-powered omnichannel experiences encompassing the world’s largest messaging platform
SYRACUSE NY, June 6, 2024 — Impel, the global leader in AI-powered customer lifecycle management for the automotive industry, announced today the global launch of WhatsApp as a communication channel for Impel AI, further enhancing the company’s omnichannel capabilities. In addition to webchat, email, and SMS texting, auto retailers using Impel’s AI platform can now deliver personalized experiences and engage in humanlike conversations with consumers who prefer WhatsApp as their primary channel of communication. This announcement follows the Company’s recently announced integrations with Tekion, CDK Global, ACV Auctions, and Cox Automotive Australia.
Messaging apps have become a significant part of many consumers’ lives and WhatsApp has solidified its position as one of the premier consumer messaging solutions around the world. With 2 billion monthly active users as of April 2024 – a figure that represents approximately 25% of the global population – WhatsApp is unrivaled as the top messaging app worldwide. WhatsApp is the dominant form of message-based communication across Europe, holding penetration rates well above 70% and as high as 97% in many countries, including the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Austria. WhatsApp continues to grow in the United States and is emerging as a primary communications channel for many consumers, reaching 43% penetration this year. More than half (59%) of WhatsApp users in the US open the app daily, and in the UK, that figure is nearly 90%. Impel’s worldwide presence in 53 countries uniquely positions the Company to effectively leverage WhatsApp’s global scale with dealers and consumers alike.
Impel’s customer lifecycle management platform has become the industry standard for enterprise-grade automotive AI. Unlike generalized Large Language Models (LLMs), Impel’s verticalized AI platform was designed specifically for automotive retailing. Powered by a proprietary mix of custom models and foundational LLMs trained on more than 100 million automotive consumer interactions, Impel offers the auto industry’s most powerful generative conversational AI solution. The company’s Automotive Optimization Layer, brand safeguards, and data integrations protect against poor outcomes and AI “hallucinations”, while optimizing dealer and OEM business results. Impel’s automated platform increases staff productivity by freeing up sales and service personnel to focus on higher-value customer relationship-building activities.
With the addition of WhatsApp, global automotive retailers using Impel AI are able to engage with more consumers in their communication channel of choice. This integration with WhatsApp supports all Impel AI capabilities, including seamless CRM integration, appointment setting, automated handling of inventory, trade-in, and financing questions, pre-qualification of leads, and more.
“AI is quickly becoming indispensable to automotive retailers and OEMs looking to deliver a consistently exceptional customer experience at scale efficiently. A critical driver of dealership success is the ability to communicate with shoppers and customers in their channel of choice. Doing so significantly enhances the customer experience, creating more opportunities for dealers to build customer loyalty and optimize lifetime value,” said Devin Daly, CEO and Co-Founder of Impel. “As the de facto standard for enterprise-grade automotive AI, adding WhatsApp was a natural extension of our omnichannel capabilities. By pairing Impel’s generative conversational AI technology with WhatsApp messaging, we’re enabling dealers to deliver compelling experiences throughout the customer journey across more channels than ever before. We’re excited to continue realizing our vision of a unified AI platform that seamlessly powers all channels and touchpoints throughout the automotive retail ecosystem.”
About Impel
Impel offers automotive dealers, OEMs, and third-party marketplaces the industry’s most advanced AI-powered customer lifecycle platform. The company’s end-to-end omnichannel solution leverages proprietary shopper behavioral data and generative conversational AI technology to deliver hyper-personalized experiences at every touchpoint. Impel’s fully integrated platform works seamlessly with all major website, CRM, and DMS platforms. To date, the company has delivered more than 20 billion shopper interactions, influencing $5 billion in Sales and Service revenue across 51 countries.
