Impel, Phyron unveil AI system to drive customer engagement through dealer video

Video is paramount to gaining customer engagement.

However, the busy world of a car dealership isn’t always the best environment to consistently create effective video content.

“Video sells. We’ve known that for years,” said Paul Hepp, director of marketing and Internet sales for the Illinois-based O’Brien Auto Team, which has 10 locations in four states. “But the reality is that salespeople are so underpowered, their timing is rarely right, and the quality of the videos they publish varies.”

That’s where technology comes in. Impel and Phyron have announced new artificial intelligence systems designed to automate the sales video creation process.

Impel’s upgraded Sales AI integrates automated AI video generation technology and configurable AI agents into the system, giving dealers and OEMs “the highest-performing lead management capabilities available,” the company says.

Impel said in a news release that the new products, designed to provide “hyper-personalized” content and human-like conversations to continuously engage shoppers, are part of a “transformational evolution” of its AI operating system.

“Impel has long understood the value of high-quality digital merchandising and multimedia content in driving lead conversion and sales,” said co-founder and CEO Devin Daly. “As the founder of the conversational AI category for automotive retail, we have always believed that the role of AI is to enhance the customer experience, not flatten it.

“Next Generation Sales AI is the first agent AI system to integrate two of the industry’s most powerful transformation technologies: intelligent always-on response and rich, personalized content across every engagement. It gives dealers a complete AI-native engine for a variety of operations and sets the tone for their entire AI operating system.”

Impel said shoppers who receive a personalized video introduction are more likely to engage with a retailer and close a sale than buyers who receive a text-only response, but few prospects actually get sent the video because of the time, effort and resources it takes.

VinVision AI is designed to fill that gap. Impel said each salesperson records one three-minute training video at launch, and the technology generates a realistic video customized for every customer and every vehicle inquired.

According to the company, Key Answers includes a digital document with everything shoppers need to take the next step, including a full-window sticker, Carfax vehicle history report, interactive 360-degree vehicle walkaround, feature highlights, payment calculator, and more.

Impel said Sales AI instantly initiates outreach, reads sentiment and behavioral cues (open patterns, response latency, language choice, question type) and adjusts strategy, messaging, channels, and timing in real time to create personalized engagement by adjusting tone, messaging, channels, and pace accordingly.

It is also designed to act as a virtual assistant for a dealership’s sales team when a human needs to intervene, providing conversation history, customer context, and recommended next steps.

According to Impel, engagement rates with early adopters increased by more than 150%, autonomously placed reservations increased by 300%, and showroom reservations from all channels increased by 40%.

“Since implementation, we’ve seen a 44% increase in lead-to-appointment conversion across all channels, and more than double the number of appointments set by AI without human intervention. Our agents are spending their time with customers who are truly ready to buy,” said Hepp.

Meanwhile, Phyron launched Video Message, a product designed to help dealers quickly respond to online inquiries with personal videos at the point when buyer intent is at their highest.

The Sweden-based company says the system, available in the Phyron app, allows sales staff to quickly record and send selfie-style introductions or vehicle walkarounds, with the clips automatically edited and distributed through the brand’s landing page. Messages include retailer and sales associate details and a call to action, providing a more direct and personal experience for buyers.

Filen said the launch is the first step in expanding the company’s role in digital retail efforts, expanding beyond helping dealers and OEMs create automated videos and images that can improve the presentation of vehicle inventory and convert leads by providing a way to add a human touch at the point where online sales opportunities are won or lost.

The goal is to make the first contact from a dealer feel like the beginning of a sales conversation, rather than a typical follow-up.

“The automotive retail industry has invested heavily in digitalisation, but the immediate aftermath of a customer inquiry is still too often flat, slow or impersonal,” said Matthias Kerquist, CEO of Philon. “Video messaging gives retailers a faster, more powerful and more human way to respond, using video to build trust early and move shoppers closer to action.”

The tool also provides real-time notifications to dealers when a customer opens an email, clicks through, and views the content.

More automation is on the way to help dealers create vehicle videos, optimize listings and manage large digital inventories, providing a faster and more scalable way to sell vehicles online, Filen said. The company says Phyron 2.0 will be rolled out this year, building a connected suite of tools aimed at improving performance across the entire buyer journey, from paid ads and vehicle listings to direct contact with dealers.