Consumer Behavior
Dr. Richard Feinburg
Zachary J. Heady
2/13/2013
The Business Venture: The Lorax
Blue skies. Brightly colored animals and landscapes. Glossily, tall trees sway gently in the afternoon breeze. This is the beautiful scene of Truffula. However, a young and energetic
Once-ler and saucy Mr. O’Hare want to make a quick profit. How might they do this?
Through several marketing strategies and some knowledge about consumer consumption, these wily entrepreneurs seek to build capitol and revenue while trying to appeal to their target markets.
There is quite a bit to digest about consumer behavior, satisfaction, and products in this animated film. The main element to all of these ideas are how Mr. O’Hare and the Onceler structured and ran their businesses. Mr. O’Hare structured his ‘pure air’ business around a monopoly venture. He saw that the people of Thneedville had no trees, therefore, he saw a consumer need and met it (we all need clean air, right?). Even though it was through a pretty unscrupulous business venture, O’Hare knew the importance of making sure consumers knew of a specific need in their lives and how only O’Hare could fix it.
After making sure consumer were getting his pure air, he went about to ensure that his business was at the forefront of people’s minds. One of his most powerful strategies was through brand recognition. Mr. O’Hare had quite the memorable face and body. Therefore, he would make sure his face was on all of the marketing products and commercials. For example, there are quite a few movie shots of his face and logo across billboards and TV

Consumer Behavior
Dr. Richard Feinburg
Zachary J. Heady
2/13/2013 commercials. He definitely knew how to get his brand image into the minds of his target audience.
The Once-ler went about his business venture in a different fashion. When he had a dream of creating Thneeds (snug and comfy wraps that looked like a scarf), he dreamt of creating a thriving business. The first practical business strategy was to gain the attention of his target market, the townspeople. Every day, he would walk into town with is Thneed wrapped around his head and his guitar in a lively fashion. He would then start to sing a catchy song about the warmth and benefit of the Thneed. At first, he was met with sneering and laughter from his audience. However, as time went on, the people began to fall in love with his new invention and memorable lyrics. He may not have known it, but he created a love and desire for the Thneed in his customers hearts.
In addition to loving the product, the Once-ler started creating business that was making the Thneeds at a very quick pace. He was trying to meet demand for the hot new fashion accessory. However, to meet demand and create a functioning industry, you need startup funds and a customer support base. In a scene early on in the movie, his future customers hoisted him above their heads and sang lovingly about his invention. The key part about this scene was all of the money they willingly held up to him. This demonstrated very well that his target market loved and wanted this new product. The Once-ler was quite the shrewd businessman.

Consumer Behavior
Dr. Richard Feinburg
Zachary J. Heady
2/13/2013
Every day we as consumers have important choices to make. Should I buy this? How much should I buy? Do I like this brand over this other brand? All of these questions tell us about how products do indeed play a part in defining our lives. Whether it’s the shoes we buy or the food we eat, every purchase tells a story. This story tells us about what packaging we like, what brands we trust, and what marketing company is doing its job correctly. These consumer choices define what we spend our money on and ultimately, tell us who we are.
In the end of the Lorax, the defining undertone of the story is about business and the environment. Pictures and scenes of trees being chopped down and money grubbing business owners are prevalent. However, this movie does teach several good lessons about respecting our world and how we as humans spend our money. The Once-ler quipped at the end, “It’s not what you have that counts, it’s how you use it.” This quote reflects on how we as consumers spend our money. Not only how we spend it, but why we spend it. These musings are what we call consumer behavior. The Lorax does a great job in showing us how human nature uses money to gain status and products. Let us always remember to be kind to our earth and to also make wise decisions when we consume. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe said it well, “Behavior is a mirror in which everyone displays his own image.” Consumer behavior is all about purchasing items that define us. The Lorax shows us that untimely, our purchases define who we are and what we enjoy.