The Rivian Demographic??

[Hmp10]

The "Rivian demographic" -- if there even is any such thing -- will evolve over time. Remember that the R1T and R1S are just launch vehicles of a much-wider product line-up that is already on the drawing boards. Tesla originally launched as an excessively expensive car aimed at early adopters. It has had no problem broadening its demographic with the Model 3 and seems poised to break into the mass market with the coming Model Y. I see no reason Rivian can't or won't follow the same trajectory.

No matter how limited the initial demographic, people lined up to buy Tesla's early sedans (even by 2015, I had to wait over four months for the Model S I ordered) . . . and people are reportedly lining up to buy Rivians. Who is lining up to buy an Audi E-Tron or a Jaguar E-Pace? Of the established brands, only Porsche seems to have created an EV that sells at or above manufacturing capacity.

Rivian's problem is not going to be a limited demographic. It's going to be production ramp-ups to meet demand.

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[brainf18]

No arguments, but pointing out the exception isn't the rule. The thread it titled the Rivian Demographic and "smart" marketing departments go after their core customer with a message that resonates, and doesn't waist much time with outliers.

 

[Lil'O Annie]

I understand the value of youthful advertising...makes all of us think buying that whatever product being sold will make us feel/look younger. I get it. I'm not saying they should shift ALL of their promotional stuff to oldies like me. I'm just saying they should ADD a few clips here and there of oldies doing their oldie stuff.
Here's another ditty that I've experienced when going to the National Drive Electric events over the past 3 years. I always get very surprised "light-bulb" reactions from people when I mention how great it is, as a birder/wildlife photographer, to pull up along side wildlife in a quiet vehicle and have them stay put. We definitely see more wildlife in our Bolt EV compared to our ICE vehicles. So my point is, people don't realize many of the additional benefits that could be pointed out to them through advertising. And, again, birding/wildlife viewing IS a major-growth industry. Why ignore that group?

 

[ajdelange]

I'm just saying they should ADD a few clips here and there of oldies doing their oldie stuff.

Why? Would that help them sell any cars? Believe it or not there is an art/science to marketing. Companies don't waste time and money where it has no effect or when it is better spent elsewhere.

 

[Lil'O Annie]

Why? Would that help them sell any cars? Believe it or not there is an art/science to marketing. Companies don't waste time and money where it has no effect or when it is better spent elsewhere.

I guess you and I disagree about what would sell this cars. I think it would help.

 

[ajdelange]

Suggest you watch some television then and observe what kind of marketing is done aimed at the older set:

Catheters (ugh)
Medigap insurance
Miracle Hearing aids
Reverse Mortages
Retirement homes....

 

[Pherdnut]

They're working with what they have. I'm pretty sure they haven't used a single actor or model in their marketing stuff. I've spotted nearly all of them in non-truck videos about the company, public events, or speaking with people at cons. I think they're mostly engineers. Surprisingly good-looking engineers.

That said, if Rivian should want to push that demographic up a bit by considering the employ of a surprisingly good-looking UI/general-software/front-end-web developer in his mid-40s who is also willing to take one for the team by putting in some extra hours being filmed doing donuts while smiling like a maniac in an R1T, I'm all ears.

 

[brianmartin]

37 here. I'm a family physician, and live in a rural area in WA state. I have two young kids. I'm interested in the R1S. I just need a nice rugged SUV for all-purpose life duty, whether its road trips into the city 100 miles away, going to the beach with the family, or even hauling my small boat to the river and back. Tesla seems too city-ish and not focused on rugged capability. The beauty of Rivian seems to be that it appeals to everyone. Most people like to go on adventures in vehicles that are rugged and durable. Sales of trucks and Jeeps prove that. My reasons for wanting a Rivian have nothing to do with politics or the environment. IMO using electricity is no better unless its renewable, which most of it currently isn't. For me a Rivian is not about that.

Rivian marketing is full of people who look like they work at Rivian, which makes sense. I don't think they're trying to "target" that demographic. They know that their vehicles are going to sell to all kinds of different people. I don't need to see a commercial of a physician driving a Rivian for me to be interested. But scrapping it through south america over varied terrain? That's exactly what I like to see. I won't use it for exactly the same thing, but the same TYPES of things. Getting up backcountry logging roads looking for mushrooms? Towing my drift boat down wet muddy boat ramps? Fishing gear in the back? Freak snow storm in the Olympics? The R1T and R1S are what we need, not the Model Y mall crawler.

TLDR: 30's, professional with kids, live in a rural area, and I want an R1S.

 

[skyote]

Getting up backcountry logging roads looking for mushrooms?

Portabella, right?

 

[Hmp10]

Portabella, right?

If one is in one's $100k R1S, I would certainly expect one to be looking for morels.

 

[skyote]

People tend to search cow pastures for magic mushrooms here in TX, at least so I hear.

 

[hola29]

Side note - Just checked, Washington state has a lot of renewable energy: https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=WA

And more to come...https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/washington-state-passes-100-clean-energy-by-2045-law

37 here. I'm a family physician, and live in a rural area in WA state. I have two young kids. I'm interested in the R1S. I just need a nice rugged SUV for all-purpose life duty, whether its road trips into the city 100 miles away, going to the beach with the family, or even hauling my small boat to the river and back. Tesla seems too city-ish and not focused on rugged capability. The beauty of Rivian seems to be that it appeals to everyone. Most people like to go on adventures in vehicles that are rugged and durable. Sales of trucks and Jeeps prove that. My reasons for wanting a Rivian have nothing to do with politics or the environment. IMO using electricity is no better unless its renewable, which most of it currently isn't. For me a Rivian is not about that.

Rivian marketing is full of people who look like they work at Rivian, which makes sense. I don't think they're trying to "target" that demographic. They know that their vehicles are going to sell to all kinds of different people. I don't need to see a commercial of a physician driving a Rivian for me to be interested. But scrapping it through south america over varied terrain? That's exactly what I like to see. I won't use it for exactly the same thing, but the same TYPES of things. Getting up backcountry logging roads looking for mushrooms? Towing my drift boat down wet muddy boat ramps? Fishing gear in the back? Freak snow storm in the Olympics? The R1T and R1S are what we need, not the Model Y mall crawler.

TLDR: 30's, professional with kids, live in a rural area, and I want an R1S.

 

[brianmartin]

Hydroelectric power is not green. The dams on the columbia river have collectively decimated an entire ecosystem and brought food species such as chinook salmon, which at one time existed in numbers that could feed hundreds of thousands of people every year, almost to the brink of extinction. I'd much rather burn coal or gas for energy. Animals can adapt to changing world weather conditions. They can't adapt to a dam.

 

[Hmp10]

Chinook salmon and other species who live off river environments will surely be impacted irreversibly by dams. However, global warming affects life up and down the food chain both in the oceans and on land. Reefs die off. Ocean currents fail or shift channels. Plankton and algae growth patterns change. Arctic and tundral animals lose habitat. Coastal cities and their water and sewer systems become compromised. Storm activity intensifies. Certain diseases become more endemic.

I'd prefer to see more solar and wind generation . . . but I'd take a few dammed-up rivers over runaway global spikes in carbon dioxide any day of the week.

 

[aAlpine]

Chinook salmon and other species who live off river environments will surely be impacted irreversibly by dams. However, global warming affects life up and down the food chain both in the oceans and on land. Reefs die off. Ocean currents fail or shift channels. Plankton and algae growth patterns change. Arctic and tundral animals lose habitat. Coastal cities and their water and sewer systems become compromised. Storm activity intensifies. Certain diseases become more endemic.

I'd prefer to see more solar and wind generation . . . but I'd take a few dammed-up rivers over runaway global spikes in carbon dioxide any day of the week.

I see it as localized environmental impact versus global impact. Humans just existing will have an impact by taking up space and resources. It's a matter of being as smart and efficient about it so we don't ruin more than we have to.

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