1 Way Rivian Can Spark Stagnating Sales

Investors knew 2025 could be a slow year for Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN). The company's next vehicle launch, the highly anticipated R2, won't hit roads until 2026, and the company lacks any real visible catalysts. The good news for investors is that the automaker is finally gearing up to do a big marketing push, and it should provide a boost to stagnating sales.

What's going on?

Rivian's customers are passionate and invested in the brand, even though it's a relatively small player in the electric vehicle (EV) market. Independently run Rivian Clubs of America are in 35 states and Washington, D.C., and Rivian plans to tap into its passionate consumer base for its first big marketing campaign.

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The campaign, called "Real Rivian Adventures," takes real stories from real Rivian owners and turns them into advertisements. One example, an advertisement called "Last Lemonade Standing," was conjured from a Rivian owner's Facebook post and has a neighborhood boy using a Rivian outlet to blend lemonade slushies to outdo a competing stand.

According to Denise Cherry, Rivian's vice president of marketing, it's the first ad in a series spotlighting owner stories that will include streaming services, social media, and possible buys on broadcast TV.

Rivian's R1T. Image source: Rivian.

Needing a spark

Rivian's marketing push comes at a good time considering its sales have been lackluster in 2025. In fact, first-quarter sales declined 36%, driven lower by fewer commercial van deliveries and weak demand, partially due to the impact of L.A. fires in a crucial California EV market. Rivian reaffirmed its full-year delivery guidance of 46,000 to 51,000 vehicles -- roughly in line with the prior year's 51,579 deliveries.

Data source: Rivian press releases. Chart by author.

The upcoming R2, R3, and R3X will open the door to a more mainstream consumer thanks to their lower price tag. Rivian R1T and R1S start at roughly $70,000 and $75,900, respectively, but the R2 price tag will check in around $45,000.

"We are hyper-focused on how we start to ramp our awareness, get our brand out into the hearts and minds of consumers ahead of that release," Cherry said in an interview, according to Automotive News.

What it all means

2025 was to be a quiet year for Rivian, but the move to shake things up and grow brand awareness with a big marketing push could deliver just the spark Rivian's sales need. Further, increasing brand awareness ahead of the R2 launch is a big step forward for the company.

Rivian really needs to the R2 to be a hit with consumers, provide a spark to sales, and hopefully increase the company's scale with additional production volume. The good news is that the R2 is on track for its launch date, and the company has made construction progress on its Normal, Illinois plant, which will be the first place the R2 is produced. Once construction finishes, the plant will be able to produce 215,000 vehicles annually, up from the status quo of 150,000 vehicles.

Rivian remains a highly speculative and risky stock to own, and it should remain a small position in any portfolio. But if the R2 is a big hit, 2026 should be a strong year for the young EV maker.

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Daniel Miller has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.