Earlier this month, MAMA members had the opportunity to hear about Cadillac’s exciting new platform, Cadillac Live, and take a virtual tour of the CT4 and CT5 with a live product specialist. Back in January—before COVID-19 expanded in the U.S.—Cadillac had the foresight to begin building out a virtual showroom called Cadillac Live. The brand says this virtual experience is not to take the place of a physical event, like an auto show, or even the dealership experience. Cadillac believes the interactive showroom tour will take a shopper’s online interest and launch that into a sales experience that takes place within a dealership.

Within Cadillac Live, interested parties can book a private experience, take a one-on-one video tour of any Cadillac vehicle, have all of their questions answered by a live agent, and even locate the nearest dealership. The goal is to provide the customer with the full experience they’d receive at a dealership without getting behind the wheel, so when they do visit a dealership, it’s a more seamless process. All of the agents in Cadillac Live are real people; the customer at home can see and hear the product specialist on their computer screen, but the agent can only hear the customer on the other end.

Cadillac says the experience is perfect for someone who may just be beginning their journey with the brand or embarking on the new-car shopping process, but it’s also used as a great resource for current customers who might want to take a deeper dive into a certain technology in their Cadillac vehicle. The agents are there and available to connect with customers Monday-Thursday, from 8 a.m.-12 a.m., Friday, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., CDT. There isn’t a preset time limit when using the experience, and Cadillac Live showroom can be accessed from virtually anywhere via the internet. Outside of the sessions with available agents, customers can also peruse the showroom and the vehicles as well as listen to pre-recorded sessions.

The digital online studio allows Cadillac agents to walk customers through the showroom to review vehicles like the CT4 and CT5, for example, to highlight specific features inside and out, such as:

• High gloss mesh grille and trim all around
• Brembo brakes
• Midnight finish on the wheels
• Rear diffuser and quad exhaust tips
• Magnetic ride control
• Heated and ventilated seats
• Sport seating
• MyMode customized driving settings
• Infotainment systems
• Carbon fiber interior trim
• Head-up display

Rick, Cadillac agent who took MAMA members on the virtual tour, said, “This is something no one has ever done before… balancing a camera, having a physical space where other people are moving around, and access to all of this exciting car knowledge. People are shocked when they’re greeted by a real live person. People assume that we can see them; we cannot, as it’s a one-way video screen. This is just such an exciting new way for us to connect with customers.”

As the world continues to evolve into a more virtual world due to the global pandemic, other automakers are being pushed into creating similar types of digital experiences. Cadillac was ready to take on digital customers at the start of the pandemic, since the Cadillac Live site was already built. Cadillac referenced data from Google’s 2017 Dealer Guide Book, which found that twice as many car buyers start their research online versus at a physical dealership. Cadillac is confident that Cadillac Live will help them generate more qualified leads and then directly match customers with local dealerships immediately following their virtual experience. So far, it has proven to be a success. Cadillac reported the CT4 and CT5 just had their best sales month yet, which they attribute in part to Cadillac Live.

Check back shortly for more information about upcoming MAMA eMeets.