Why no Rivian TV commercials?

[crashmtb]

I assume so, at least I've not seen conventional media presence.

I imagine if you dig into their financial reports, there's a modest budget of a few million per quarter.
From investor relations to sales and marketing, there's a number of people in Rivian under the VP of marketing with all their various clever "chief whatever officer" getting paid to get review cars to influencers, run the Transamerica tour (which I think was money well spent) and the Breckenridge youtuber drive (also effective and well executed, in my humble) and the various "experiences" (First Mile) and the marketing and brand location in L.A. The Rebelle Rally was money well spent, though I think a little lackluster and should have been a much better coverage. Great that they were in the race, but as someone who actively looks for Rivian content, they were almost stealthy.
These are the stuff of marketing today.

Rivian doesn't need more of this at all. I'd say thanks to those teams and those initiatives and no more. If the executive team insisted on sales and marketing, I'd focus on evangelists and brand ambassadors – creating awareness (e.g. taking fully kitted out overlander demo vehicles to shows, engaging third party manufacturers, OEMs, solution providers, outfitters. I'd ask WARN "what will it cost for you to put your best winch in the front of the R1T and R1S, you can move the radiator, we'll supply 12V, 24V, 48V or 400V at any amps you want, we'll support you with R&D tech and field testing, here's the schematics on our prototypes, and how soon, is Tuesday do-able?")

The focus is purely on execution. Setting expectations and exceeding expectations. I'd use RJ as the (goddamn handsome…) face of Rivian. Most CEOs like most politicians are not camera ready and when they get in front of a camera, like the current top politician, what comes out of them is bewildering and not on message. Rivian has a great story: The quiet over-achiever.

Until they get Clark Kent to come in front of the people a little more often (which he has been doing) we won't know if he has the star power to be a celebrity CEO. Not that I want another Elon Musk, but Wall Street loves a story and a hero in that story just as much as they love a villain like Lizzy Holmes or Trevor Mills.

Rivian has a great story, but the measure of a public company is its stock price, and $RIVN has been dragged under its IPO by the biggest downdraft in the stock market in years. The insiders were buying at $25 recently. I'm optimistic they'll double their money (and I'll more than double mine) in the next 12 months. That doesn't require marketing, it requires execution.

As far as I can tell, their homework is written with a large sharper on the wall of every office in the C-suite:
1) Features, performance, and content: get the Max Pack done and bring with it a heat pump
2) Competitive feature road map:
e.g.
onboard power (say 10kW with 240V)
a winch
3) business partners (OEMs, aftermarket)
4) software!
e.g.
Driver+
app features for mobile devices
plug-n-charge
road trip energy management interface
passive proximity key/device detection
beta software like Tank Turn Mode
retrofit a better wireless phone charging pad
work on the obstacles to allow Android Auto and Apple Car Play into a sandbox in the touchscreen.

Whatever they choose for that list, this is just my "non-stretch" list, they really need to bring their software game up to the major leagues. They're tinkering around and it won't do. The user experience is the software user experience. The vehicle touch and feel is already far exceeding what the buyer expects (and it's far too expensive to change in the first model cycle, which is probably about 5 years.) They need the software UX to be as good or better than Tesla. They need the Driver+ experience to be at least as good or better than Ford BlueCruise or GM SuperCruise or HyperCruise.

So I'd say the die is already cast. Either RJ has already solved the logistics and supply side to ramp up, or he hasn't. It's been over two full years now. So if I was in marketing at Rivian, I'd ask if we're at that point where we can confidently say "here's our new number for production units to be delivered for each vehicle type" … I expect Rivian will make that kind of announcement and have "drum beat" marketing to deliver on those expectations. Wall Street (and I) love to see achievable expectations met and exceeded by nominal margins.

TL;DR

I just want them to get to whatever point it is that gets me my R1T. Don’t care about stock prices. Don’t care about marketing. Don’t care how the sausage is made. Product is what matters.

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[the long way downunder]

3.5 million people saw Doug Demuro's R1T review....1.7 million have seen the R1S review....free advertising. 4.7 million have seen Marques Brownlee's initial review. Lets save all that advertising money for the tonneau recall and tick/tocking.

I assume Rivian folks agree completely. Build a great product and the top tier influencers will want to get their revenue from their clicks and views.

 

[the long way downunder]

TL;DR

I just want them to get to whatever point it is that gets me my R1T. Don’t care about stock prices. Don’t care about marketing. Don’t care how the sausage is made. Product is what matters.

You Canadians and your sausages.
: )

 

[SoCal Rob]

I could see Rivian doing some kind of friend referral program when the production gets closer to meeting the demand. Get x months of RAN network membership for referring a new customer who buys and they get the same x months, too. There is still a monetary cost with getting those new sales, but that’s only for confirmed sales.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Rivan people are all outdoors or at a Patagonia shop?

Hey there we go they should advertise in the Patagonia store.

I like this quote but that's not actually the reason why you won't see a Lamborghini commercial. They get enough exposure as status cars thanks to the rich and famous driving them. High end manufacturers court rich and famous people, give them exclusive access or even gift them cars. They advertise by creating a lifestyle brand, not by appealing to the masses. Plus how often are cars like this featured in movies or television and portrayed as the pinnacle of automotive technology? That's not an accident either.

Lamborghini, and all other manufacturers of high end sports cars, know the difference between advertisement and exposure. They go for exposure.

 

[Count Orlok]

The problem is that Rivian's crack marketing team will convey a message so imprecise to leave the viewer of any commercial to wonder if they are selling a floor wax, dessert topping, or sports bras.

 

[R1Sky Business]

The day Rivian announces a Super Bowl ad or naming a sports arena, sell your stock. : )

I'll be ready

 

[Aubs]

Their marketing budget went into putting all of the Rivian Logos on the truck

 

[Count Orlok]

Their marketing budget went into putting all of the Rivian Logos on the truck

don't forget the research analysis they conducted which concluded people are not wearing enough hats.

 

[R1Sky Business]

don't forget the research analysis they conducted which concluded people are not wearing enough hats.

Or plugging anything into frunk"s 12V plug.......too SooN??

 

[TxBeachRivian]

I feel like I am a Rivian commercial every time I drive. And then I am a salesperson for the random folks that ask about the truck or walk up in a parking lot.
And I actually don’t mind.
When I had my truck dirty, I actually kind of missed all the people asking about it.

 

[Zool]

Years ago I read an article about car advertising where some corporate git mentioned that the magazine and tv spots were as much about preventing buyer's remorse in people who just bout car x as they were about selling more of car x.

Are the numerous ads for F150s, Camrys and Civics responsible for all those sales? Or are the ads the byproduct of high sales, to soothe aching, empty wallets?

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