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A PROJECT ON:
PUBLIC RELATIONS OF
LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA
SUBMITTED BY:
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T.Y.B.M.S. (SEMESTER V)
Name of college
SUBMITTED TO:
UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI
DECLARATION
———————— ————————
DATE OF SUBMISSION SIGNATURE OF
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Public Relations Of LIC Of India
STUDENT
(name)
——————
PLACE
CERTIFICATE
———————————— —————————
SIGNATURE OF COLLEGE SIGNATURE OF
PRINCIPAL EXTERNAL EXAMINER
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
One of the pleasant aspects of preparing a project is the opportunity to thank those who have
I extremely thankful to Prof Mayank Dhedia whose active interest in the project insights
helped us to formulate, redefine and implement our approach towards the project.
I am also thankful to all those seen and unseen hands & heads, which have been of direct or
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CONTENTS
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What Is Public?
Public is a group of similar ideas, an assortment of persons having the same interests,
problems, circumstances & goals. They vary in their forms & sizes they have a multitude of
wants & desires. Each group has its own likes & dislikes. Group can be classified as: -
Employees form a group/public; employers form another group, etc. Other members of the
public can be dealers, wholesalers, investors, etc. Each of these groups is a public &
everyone tries to attract a district audience with its varied tools & techniques. A public may
also be made up of a no. of individual’s who are unorganized & hard to identify but who for
widely varied reasons have a common interest in the matter at issue.
Today, however, when modern means of common make vast number of people aware of
controversial issues & common interests, publics tend to be large & impersonal. These
publics involve people who are not known to each other & are widely distributed over the
country, or even among a number of countries. The members of such public rarely meet
each other face to face or have much direct communication. The impersonal but powerful
publics are numerous in today’s high complex society. But finally the public is any group of
people who share common interest.
Relations:-
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It is the outcome of mutual understanding derived from the process of sharing of common
interest where as relationship is the definite type of relation or interaction taking place
between two individuals, group or departments. To understand any relationship, therefore it
is necessary that one understands the wants of those involved.
The term PR is also applied to the profession responsible for handling such assignments.
Corporations, govt. agencies, politicians & entertainers are among these who use public
relations. Their publics vary from employees & shareholders to an entire community or
members of the news media. The communication between an organization & its public
ranges a simple news release to a sophisticated campaign featuring films, ad’s speeches &
television appearances. Such communication is aimed at gaining the goodwill of the public.
The basis of any effective PR campaign is public benefit. If an organization does not serve
the needs of public, the public will not support it. PR experts help an organization learn what
the public wants & then establish policies that reflect concern for public’s interests.
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Frank Jefkins: Public Relations means what it says- relations with the public. It is
practically a self-defining term. It aims to create and maintain confidence. It is a system of
communication to create goodwill. It produces that intangible quality or asset-goodwill, and
earns credit for achievements.
K.R.Balan: ‘The discipline which brings out the rewards in generating “mutual
understanding” and the risks involved in misunderstanding between individuals, groups,
governments and nations in this restless world the shape and content of which tend to be
rapidly changing.’
Public Relations as a term was first formally used by ‘Thomas Jefferson’ in the year 1807,
while drafting his seventh address to the congress delegates when he scratched out the words
“State Of Thought” and wrote “Public Relations” instead. Informally Sir Walter Raleigh
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used it even earlier during the Land Rehabilitation Movement, while persuading people from
different parts of America to settle in the rural parts of Virginia. This was the first organized
effort to win and mobilize public opinion. In India, the term of course gained importance
later through the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) in 1958.
Human relations:
It is getting along well with the word public both internally or externally. No person can
work independently & everyone who works in an organization directly or indirectly depends
on one another.
Empathy:
Empathy means feeling with the other person to analyze others point of view & is regarded
as primary pre-requisite for a satisfying experience in a relationship where a certain degree
of depth of understanding is expected.
Persuasion:
There are 2 forms of interaction between individuals or groups
Force or compulsion b) persuasion.
If one party compels another to do something instead of perusing him this is called
Despotism. It is against the principle of proper conduct sanctioned by society. A sense of
human interest on the person who is being persuaded will understand & appreciate the cause
& effect of this action.
Dialogue:
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3. To win friends.
4. To influence people.
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14. To help the public to love life and work for better or for
worse without conditions.
18. To prepare and supply the public with information about the
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Special features
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The functions to be performed by a public relations department may vary from organization
to organization depending upon the nature and activities of a particular organization.
However, certain standard functions have emerged as common in most balanced
departments. They are discussed below:
Policy:
Publicity:
Corporate publicity is necessary to interact with the public. The department has to undertake
the development and issuance of announcements of corporate activities to external
communication media. It has to handle inquiries from the press. It is a part of the functions
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of the department to develop and place promotional and publicity about the company as a
whole or any of its units.
Product Publicity:
Corporate publicity is different from the product publicity. In this, focus is on the products
and how to popularize the product. This includes both new products as well as existing ones.
It includes the announcement of new products through the editorial channels of the
communication media. The department has to develop and execute the promotional product
publicity campaigns.
Relations with the government cannot be overlooked. In all spheres of activities the
government interferes, regulates, controls and supervises. It is necessary to maintain liaison
with appropriate governmental departments. This liaison covers both the local level, state
level and national level. Besides, governmental relations include:
• Advise action as needed
• Report trends in government affecting the company
• Help in preparing and directing corporate appearances before investigating bodies of
legislative hearings.
• Direct programmes designed to promote the company’s point of view in legislative
or regulatory matters.
Community Relations:
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Shareholders relations:
Relations with the corporate stock- holders are more important to attract public money. This
takes the form of communication between the company and the shareholders in particular
and also the investment community in general. It is necessary for the development and
acceptance of the company among the investors by broadening the exposure of the
company’s policy and financial results in the investment community. This function includes
preparation of annual reports, quarterly reports, dividend cheque inserts etc. It has to plan
and stage the annual meetings of stockholders and appearances before meetings of security
analysis.
Promotion Programmes:
Public relations promotion programmes should be formulated and implemented. This may
broadly cover institutional advertising, public relations literature and special events.
Donations:
Employee Publications:
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The public relations department has to prepare and publish employee magazines,
newspapers, bulletins, management communication etc
Guest relations:
As experience has shown, the world stands divided into three sets of people:
1. There are those who know you and like you.
2. There are those who know you and do not like you, and
The third are usually the large majority. Now the aim is:
1. To reach a position where those who know and like you stay
that way;
2. Where those -.who know you and do not like you, change
their opinion;
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3. Those who neither know you nor care wish they could meet
you and do business with you.
The technique involved in the process is like that of the one followed by the fisherman who
chooses his bait not by his own taste but by the taste of the fish.
The answer to the question, 'Why Public Relations?' is well explained with the help of the
following paragraphs:
1. Communication:
The means of communication have reached, technically, almost a stage of perfection. It is
today financially possible for practically everybody- at least in the advanced nations-to
receive'" information. The level of education of a wide circle of the population is rising
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rapidly and this ensures a steady increase in the capacity for receiving information which is
guaranteed by the 'constitution.' Adequate information is, therefore, theoretically possible
although it is by no means guaranteed in each individual case.
3. Information Load:
Also called message load or quantity. The sceptic will, of course, draw our attention to the
flood of information to which we are all exposed today. The proper reply to this is that this
flood is largely without direction and that it is incomplete or inaccurate. Information must be
prepared. Essential information must be separated from trivial matter, and the interest of the
receiver must be aroused in the right direction. In the realization that ignorance, the inability
to appreciate or recognize, superficial knowledge is extremely likely to result in dislikes,
dissatisfaction and outright rejection with all their disastrous consequences.
What we require is a fair means of information which eliminates existing or awakened
suspicions, which builds up understanding, and creates confidence. This is what we call
Public Relations.
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Going by the definition of public relations, the mutuality is based on interaction between
consideration for public opinion, and the need of the communicator or organization to
inform or establish contact. Understanding is created by providing insight into, and reporting
on all essential matters. Confidence is cultivated by bringing the aim of the organization into
harmony with the public interest, thus winning and maintaining goodwill among the general
public.
From all these facts, it is clear what the purpose of this' Activity in, for, and with, the public'
is : To act and not to react; to create an atmosphere of confidence by an active information
policy, the passive part of which consists in answering queries; to inform the public and
exert influence towards the inside as a form of corporate and social counter-control to
establish direct or in direct connections with the public, to fulfill a kind of interpreter's
function towards the public and to control communicative reaction. The desired effect can
only be achieved if the information or message is true and verifiable, clearly formulated and
readily understandable, and is also in conformity with the daily practice of living and
experiencing.
There has been misconceived opinion about the scope or field of public relations activities.
In lectures and articles published one is apt to gain the impression that public relations
concern industry and commerce only. In such an instance it can only be said that one tends
to overlook the fact that public relations, particularly in this decade, has entered all sectors of
public life, not excluding religion, and that it how has a virtually unlimited field of
application. The following examples demonstrate the wide field of public relations activities
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in industry and commerce. In our market economy there are information gaps which cannot
be filled by the interaction of supply and demand via prices, costs or wages. This is when
public relations activity steps in. It provides information on Planning technical and
organizational developments, inventions and their potential utilization, or it issues at regular
intervals company reports which provide a deeper insight into the structure of the
corporation than the public can otherwise obtain. The relations activity is becoming
increasingly necessary for the procurement of economically essential production factors. It
makes it easier for corporations to tap the money-market or to finance their projects by
issuing bonds or shares. It can also help them to find new personnel when necessary, and
thus level out personnel fluctuation without reducing the desired working mobility. Finally it
is easier for a corporation to acquire land from a community if the corporation cultivates
public relations and endeavors to bring its own interests in harmony with those of the
community.
Public relations activity may support marketing. In its various forms it may contribute
decisively to successful frictionless business activity. The principles of reciprocity
underlying public relations is for the corporation an incentive to improve performance,
because it helps the Corporation to overcome a difficult situation. Today the public relations
profession has entered even in to the fields of hospitality, tourism, institutes, in education
and to a variety of others.
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International Code of Ethics for Public Relations as adopted by the Public Relations Society
of India at the 1st All India Public Relations Conference, New Delhi, April 21, 1968:
Considering that all member-countries of the United Nations Organization have agreed to
abide by its Charter which refines "its faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and
worth of the human person" and that having regard to the very nature of their profession,
Public Relations practitioners in these countries should undertake to ascertain and observe
the principles set out in this Chapter. Considering that, apart from "right", human beings
have not only physical or material needs but also intellectual, moral and social needs, and
that their rights are of real benefits to them only in so far as needs are essentially met.
Considering that, in the course of their professional duties and depending on how these
duties are pardoned, Public Relations practitioners can substantially help to meet these
intellectual, moral and social needs. And lastly, considering tell the use of techniques
enabling them to come simultaneously into contact with millions of people gives Public
Relations practitioners a power that has to be restrained by the observance of a strict moral
code. On all these grounds the Public Relations Society of India hereby declares that it
accepts, as its moral charter the principles of the following Code of Ethics, and that if, in the
light of evidence submitted to the Society, a member of this Society should be found to have
infringed this Code in the course of his professional duties, he will be deemed to be guilty of
serious misconduct calling for an appropriate penalty.
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2. To establish communication patterns and channels which, by fostering the free flow of
essential information, will make ach member of ' the group feel that he is being kept
informed, and also give him an awareness of his own personal involvement and
responsibility and of his solidarity with other members;
3. To conduct himself always and in all circumstances in such a manner as to deserve and
secure the confidence of those with whom he come into contact;
4. To bear in mind that because of the relationship between his profession and the public, his
conduct even in private will have an impact on the way which the profession as a whole is
appraised.
5. To observe, in the course of his professional duties, the moral principles and rules of the
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights";
6. To pay due regard to, and uphold, human dignity, and to recognize the right of each
individual to judge for himself;
7. To establish the moral, psychological and intellectual conditions for dialogue in its
true sense, and to roguish the right of the parties involved to start their case and express
their views;
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9. To carry out his undertakings and commitments which shall always be so worded as to
avoid any misunderstanding and to show loyalty and integrity in all circumstances so as to
keep the confidence of his clients or employees, past or
present and of all the publics that are affected by his action. shall refrain from;
11. Circulating information which is not based on established and ascertainable facts;
12. Taking part in any venture or undertaking which is unethical or dishonest or 'capable of
impairing human dignity and integrity;
2. I believe that public relations practice should strive to elevate its audiences rather than to
degrade them, and our communications should be addressed to reason judgment rather
than to emotion and prejudice.
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3. I believe that sound public relations comprises policies and deeds as well as words; that it
must deal in truth rather than in Celestin; that it must seek to clarify the issues of our
times rather than confuse them
4. While I may understand to present one point of view for public consideration, I believe in
the inalienable right of those with opposing points of view to present their cases the also.
For Ire cognize my right to speak can be assured only if guarantee exists for all, including
those whose causes are unpopular.
5. I believe that the democratic process must prevail in the market place of ideas, as well as
the political and economic affairs.
6. I believe that the public interest takes precedence over the interests of those I represent;
and I conceive my function as being to assist in confirming the interests of those I
represent
7. I recognize that the consequences of my actions are affected in the minds of men; and
because the human mind has immeasurable potentials for good and for evil, I must
approach my task in reverence and as for the inviolable right of the individual to make his
own judgments.
The Houses of Tata, Mafatlal, Bajaj, Hindustan lever, Colgate Palmolive, Indian Oxygen,
Goodyear, Hoechst, DCM, Godrej, TVS, ACC, Mahindra & Mahindra, Birlas and the JK
Group of Kanpur, to name a few, have contributed a great deal to the economic development
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3. Research into public opinion, attitudes and expectations and advising on necessary
action.
4.Establishing and maintaining two-way communication basedon truth and full information.
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Letters
Letters which enable one person to reach another despite the
Limitations of time that can cut down on personal visits and telephoning, Are among the
most ancient and perhaps still the most important media of Mass communications. It has
been said that letters are the only selling medium that, if taken away, would disrupt the entire
modem business structure.
They are sent out with every kind of enclosure; pamphlets and
Leaflets, order blanks, samples, pictures, return post cards, and many others. The well-
written letter has a major advantage over all other media it is directed personally to an
individual. If it designed to please and flatter him rather than to irritate him as an invasion of
his privacy, it commands his attention for a little while perhaps just long enough to motivate
him to do what the writer wants him to do. Mail is a personal thing. A person likes to receive
a letter written for him as well as addressed to him. He likes to express regard for him, offer
him a better job, make a promise or enclose a cheque. When a publicist sends out a letter
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written for the client's benefit rather than for the recipient's, privacy is being presumed upon.
The recipient may resent it. He may throw the letter away without reading it, or read it only
to turn against the writer. Individually written and addressed letters have long constituted his
backbone of international communication. Offset letters are being used
in increasing volume to establish a direct speedy line of communication with specific
publics- Letters are used on a regular or spot-news basis to reach employees, dealers,
alumni, or workers in a fund-raising or legislative campaign.
The Telephone
A telephone call is more effective than a letter as a last minute reminder or an incitement to
action. The telephone is good for getting a person to do something he should do although he
might prefer not to such as attending a meeting. He can dodge a letter more easily than the
personal commitment of a personal conversation. But for a technical or monetary
commitment both parties will find it advisable to put it in writing to seal the telephone
agreement.
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put through a call and then hold up the party being telephoned because the caller has become
tied up with something else. It is better for people in business to make their own calls.
People in business can win goodwill by answering their own telephones if possible; it is not
pleasant telephone manners to have a secretary ask every caller 'Who's this? 'Who are you
with? And what’s the call about?
Word of Mouth
Word of mouth spreads like wild fire. If the subject and content are right, it can burst into
spontaneous combustion just as an entire forest may suddenly be overrun by conflagration.
Through word of mouth, rumor and innuendo may spread with extreme speed and
spontaneity if the subject is close to the emotion of people. Feeling and thought must quickly
take wing on word of mouth. In stimulating a word-of-mouth campaign.
The important thing is to present subject matter of such interest as to cause people to repeat
it to others.
Word of mouth is perhaps the most subtle of publicity tools. It takes the form of gossip and
slander at times if timely action is not taken to control it. Though it is the hardest to control,
all our efforts need to be made. Its manipulation is not subject to cut-and dried mechanics, as
is the case with so many publicity media and instruments. The things that contribute to
word-of-mouth circulation are:
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Newsletter
The commercial field has long made good use of newsletters. These have a bright future.
Newsletters tend to fit the times these days. People have fragmented interests. There are
certain things they want to know a lot about, and other things they don't want to hear
anything about. Newsletters have the advantage of speed. They are quick to read. The public
relations use of newsletters is spreading rapidly into non-profit fields as well. Associations
and professional societies particularly find the formal effective. Its use in politics and
lobbying is burgeoning.
With this format, users can reach constituents quickly on matters having both urgency and
importance. The person-to-person nature invites reading.
Post Cards
Post cards are quick and easy to prepare, quick and easy for the
Recipient to absorb, economical to mail to constituents and an effective adaptation of direct
mail to reach large numbers of people with a message that can be punched home in a
paragraph.
In many campaigns, a large number of individuals can be stimulated to sign and then send
post cards to their own friends and contacts. This personal touch has more influence with the
recipient than would a communiqué from a stranger.
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Public address systems at meetings, shows, gathering of employees or mass audiences of any
kind make it possible mechanically to project he human voice before a large number of
people. Mounted on a mini truck or other mobile auto, the public address system can be
transported from place to place, presenting speakers and programmers as it goes, and
reaching a widely distributed audience. Sound tracks can also be rigged up at programmes in
lieu of a permanently installed public address system. A portable bullhorn affords great
mobility wherever amplified sound is needed.
Charts
Charts are by far the most-used visual aid. A chart may be painted, printed or drawn. It must
be large enough and simple enough to be seen and comprehended in the presentation setting.
Flannel Boards
Flannel Boards consist of aboard covered with felt. Sticky-backed visuals are placed on the
surface, allowing a speaker to put some movement and flexibility into an otherwise static
presentation.
Magnetic Boards
Magnetic Boards are much like flannel boards, except that magnets permit the use of heavier
three dimensional visuals.
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These are useful in overcoming some of the difficulties of working with a diffuse and loose-
knit organization. They assure that all concerned get exactly the same message with the
desired visual and/or audio emphasis. Generally, these video cassettes, audio cassettes or
disc communications, though carefully prepared, are modest in technique.
Intentionally, they do not have the ambitious-or cost-associated with full scale productions.
Electro writers
An executive or a demonstrator can write his 'blackboard' notesacross a long distance
through a transmitter unit hooked up by telephone lines with a projector unit and screen.
Tele Lecture
This is a useful technique for making an audio/visual presentation at distance. With the help
of the telephone company there is a hook-up from a speaker's office, a meeting or classroom,
where visuals can be shown while the speaker is heard. Members of the audience can
question the speaker through a two-way hook-up. This permits the speaker to 'appear' at
many locations without the full time or expense of going there, and it permits remote groups
to engage speakers they otherwise would not attract.
Facsimile
It sends between distant cities via telephone lines, exact copies of blueprints, layouts, and
other visual materials- It is now used increasingly to transmit copy between the offices of an
agency and clients or between an organization and a communications medium.
Planning Process of PR
Public relations are not merely a process of getting stories and pictures into newspapers. It is
much more. It has to be properly planned, orderly executed, and a number of details need
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careful attention. Public relations costs money, requires manpower, needs expertise, and
consumes time and resources. So it should be
well planned and executed in an orderly manner.
PR Objectives
The first step is to set out clearly the PR objectives before
any campaign is launched. The publicist must have a clear idea
as to what is intended to be achieved. His approach should be
Positive and purposeful:
Publics
The next step is to decide who is the audience to be reached i.e. local, regional, national, or
international. And apart from geographical area, it should be considered if any specialized
audience or a section of the community or professional people is also to be reached.
Message
After deciding the public the company has to decide what message they want to pass through
the campaign, what is it they want the people to know about them or what they want to tell
or inform the public about.
Strategy
A strategy is a long term planning or the methods that a company adopts to make itself a
successful company. For a PR campaign also strategies are required to be formed to so that
they can create an impact or impression in the minds of the people; as well as they can build
a fair and favorable image in the market.
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Tactics
Along with a good strategy a company also needs to use some very good tactics for its
campaign because there are competitors in the market and the company has to stand on top
of all of them.
Time Scale
The public has to decide the time scale in which they will complete the campaign. They have
to set a specific time. Also the decision about the commencement of campaign, duration,
repetition, etc. is to be made well in time.
Resources
The publicist has also to think about the resources in terms of money and staff available to
him. The campaign has to be planned keeping in view the resources which the publicist
would be able to mobilize.
Selection of Media/Resources
Another point that requires a decision is about the media to be employed for the campaign:
whether publicity is to be conducted with one medium or more than one or through multi-
media.
Evaluation
After deciding upon the above things the publicist should evaluate the whole process to
check whether everything is properly being done or not or whether they have to add
anything else or not, etc.
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Review
After evaluation again there should be a review of the entire thing to give it a final check.
Analysis
After the campaign there should be an analysis of the entire process sp that they will come to
know whether the campaign was successful or not and if not then where it went wrong. If
any draw backs are pointed out then again the whole process is repeated from the point of
identifying the publics.
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It has a network of over 2000(2048) branches and more than nine lakh agents. Over 47
years, LIC has become a household name for providing security for a lifetime and is
synonymous to life insurance in India.
LIC ranks No.1 in the list of top 500 companies on the basis of Net Worth(Rs. 15, 47, 951
million) as well as Net Profit(2,66,277 million)- Dun & Bradstreet (India 500
The objectives of undertaking PR activities in LIC are manifold. In their Citizen’s Charter
the company states that:
TO THE COMMUNITY:
We will conduct all aspects of our business keeping in view the interests of the community
and the national priorities; Provide insurance cover and financial security to every insurable
segment including the socially and economically weaker sections of the society.
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TO OUR CUSTOMERS:
We will provide them prompt, efficient and courteous service; act as trustees of their funds
and invest them to their best advantage; build and maintain enduring relationship;
Keep them informed about our products and services etc.
TO OUR WORKFORCE:
We will promote a sense of participation and make them partners in progress; work towards
ensuring their job satisfaction and sense of pride; provide an environment and the
opportunities for growth to enable them to realize their full potential; take steps to develop
professional skills to enable them to handle their assignments more efficiently.
Budget:
The management allocates Rs. 2-3 crores (approx.) annually to the PR Department. This
amount is then further allocated to the various Zonal Offices which prepare their individual
budgets according to their requirements.
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Staffing Of PR Department
The Director-PR operates from the central office and has under him a Chief PRO. Each
Zonal Office has a Zonal Manager-PR under whom is the Regional Manager-PR. Further
under him is the Assistant Secretary who works with his Subordinate staff to fulfill the day-
to-day activities of the PR Department.
A PR plan is made at the beginning of each accounting year for which the Chairman
appoints a PR Planning Committee. This committee comprises of the Director PR,
Chief PRO, etc.
Advertising
Though countywide advertising is done by the marketing department, advertising locally in
the various cities is handled by Zonal Offices. The advertising strategy is very well planned
and is largely aimed at image building.
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EXTERNAL PUBLICS
Customers i.e. policy holders
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Prospective Customers
Government Agencies
Banks and Financial Institutions
Statutory Bodies e.g. IRDA (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority)
Social Organizations
Lawyers
Local Administration
Media
General Public
Auditors
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
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LIC shares a good rapport with its employees. There are various staff unions to take care of
the employees rights. The company shares a cordial and harmonious relationship with these
unions.
I. HOUSE JOURNALS
The corporation has a corporate house magazine ‘YOGAKSHEMA’ which chronicles
corporate and organizational events and pronouncements.
The corporation also releases a quarterly newsletter ‘JANKALYAN’ which serves the
above mentioned purpose as well as acknowledging employee achievements and produce
merit lists of employee performance.
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A news letter NILYAMDOT COM is also published by the corporation which is developed
by the children of the LIC employees and is exclusively for children.
II. INTERACTION
The corporation also conducts open houses, meetings, seminars, workshops. This is done
with the aim of facilitating two-way communication.
III. REWARDS
Prizes are awarded to top performers at staff meetings and conferences. Rewards are given
in the form of holiday, a family trip or some monetary gain.
In consonance with the changes taking place in the insurance market, the corporation has
undergone a transformation, simultaneously requiring a revamp in its image. Systematic and
focused PR initiatives and widespread publicity have resulted in markedly improved
visibility. The corporation has emerged with a much younger and sleeker image.
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A conscious effort was made to bring about a transformation in the corporate image.
Through various campaigns, the corporation tried to depict the organization as one oriented
towards the younger generation.
The corporation advertising campaigns assisted the marketing strategies.
The business of insurance is purely service which cannot be seen or held. Hence, the
consumer relations activities of LIC concentrate on the customer public and building
relations with prospective customer.
The corporation has time and again made endeavors to reach out to the consumers, interact
with them and keep them satisfied.
The corporation tries to achieve its objective through a number of means
Oral Communication
Oral communication with the consumer public is the most effective means of presenting
facts and creating understanding of the organization’s policies and practices.
Employee-Consumer Communication:
The harmonious relationship that LIC has, through the years , built and maintained with its
customers has only been possible due to its dedicated and committed team of Development
Officers and scores of Insurance Agents throughout the country.
Press Conferences
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Audio-Visual Communication
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Television and Radio broadcasts are a basic medium of consumer communication. Now –a-
days it gaining a lot of importance.
Trans-slides
The Corporation has placed trans-slides at strategic places, like Railway Stations and
Airports, for maximum exposure to public at large.
Printed Communication
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At LIC printed communications are used in conjunction with oral communication media.
Press Release
Press releases are frequently handed out to the media by the local PR department on behalf
of the company. These generally comprise of any subject or issue concerning the company,
containing information for policy holders or any item of news value to the media and its
readers.
The corporation takes out its annual working results and several other publications from time
to time to keep the public abreast of the happenings and achievements at LIC.
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Financial Results
The annual financial report of the corporation is published in the National dailies and is also
circulated amongst the shareholders to keep them informed. It also aims at attracting new
investors.
Website
The Corporation’s website www.licindia.com gives information about the corporation’s
products, services, subsidiaries and addresses of branches and about premium payment
through the internet. It also provides
• Press releases
• News sections
• Online policy status
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Information Kiosks
The corporation has installed online information kiosks at prominent places across the
country. This provides information about the Products, services and policy status reports to
the customers.
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To communicate with them and to keep them informed of the company’s progress several
activities are undertaken by the PR Dep’t.
LIC regularly provides ‘Health vans’ to various organizations across the country. The
corporation also sponsors many sports events at the national level. Numerous publicity
projects with a social purpose are undertaken at the zonal level.
Recently the North Zone (Delhi) associated itself with the ‘Perfect Health Mela’ to
propagate the cause of good health.
AIM OF CORPORATE RELATIONS FULFILLED AT LIC
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A. CORPORATE IDENTITY
B. CORPORATE IMAGE
C. CORPORATE CITIZEN
A. CORPORATE IDENTITY
Image Communicators/ Identity Creators
Company Logo
The company’s logo has become synonymous with insurance and security in India. It helps
to identify the company easily.
Sign-up Line
Company Publications
The company has a host of publications that comprise of in-house journals, external
newsletters, annual reports, etc.
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Citizens Charter
The company philosophy goes a long way in creation of harmonious relations with its
publics. The citizen’s charter is a comprehensive statement of the company’s
philosophy towards its publics.
B. CORPORATE IMAGE
The above listed image communicators have been very successful in creating a corporate
image of LIC in the minds of the people over the years since its establishment.
C. CORPORATE CITIZEN
With all its PR initiatives and activities, since its establishment, LIC has proved to be a
successful corporate citizen.
Public Relations aims at building-up and maintaining sound, effective and productive
relations with the public so as to help the organization to understand and interpret the
environment as also help the public and the society at large to appreciate the performance
and limitations of the organization. Public Relations has the responsibility to build and
maintain two-way relations between the Public and the Organization at all levels.
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Public Relations Of LIC Of India
A clearly laid down Public Relations Policy, therefore, is essential to set the goals, indicate
the strategies and give proper direction to all levels in the area of Public Relations.
Mission
Establish understanding and develop awareness of mutual aspirations of LIC and the Public.
Goals
1. Promote within the Corporation greater awareness of the changing environment and he
need to align the corporate policy to the emerging situation.
2. Help fashioning, within the constraints, its policies, programmes, practices and Products
to meet the expectations of the Public. Help the public to appreciate the Performance and
the limitations of LIC.
Strategy
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1. Develop excellent relations with the totality of the media-print, electronic and agency
owners and reporters by regular exchange of information with them.
2. Establish relations-and develop understanding with the Govt. -Central, State & Local
bodies through legislators and Govt. officials.
3. Develop full understanding with the workers-employees at all levels and agents on
Organizational goals, policies, practices and programmes.
4. Develop an effective system of communication with the departments and operating units
on the environment and on implementation of policies.
5. Build an atmosphere of goodwill and understanding inside and outside the organization
leading .to better appreciation of the corporation's policies and performance.
6. Help to evolve effective machinery for quick and satisfactory redressal of grievances of
the public.
8. Devise methods for opening up channels of two-way communication with various publics
of the Corporation.
Action Plan
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1. Keeping the objectives, philosophy and the strategies in view, drawing-up annual PR
plans by Branches, Divisions, Zones & Corporate Office.
2. Develop an effective system of periodical reviews of PR Plans at all levels - B.O., D.O.,
Z.O. and Corporate.
6. Organize events like inauguration of new B.O., D.O., Z.O. or any arm of the Corporation
(diversification) etc. as public functions to project corporate image.
7. Actively participate in at least one important scheme in each of the States and in two or
three national level schemes to help improve the quality of social life and establish the
social relevance of LIC.
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PRESS CONFERENCE
Press conference & interview are arranged periodically by all L.I.C. offices - i.e. , Central,
Zonal, Divisional and Branch offices at the time of launching any new scheme and to inform
about the policies , programmes and activities to the press so that it can be publicized.
LIC has its own web site Licindia.com which provides information about LIC and its
subsidiaries and the products offered by them.
With a view to providing quick and accurate service its Customers LIC has introduced on-
line service through front – end terminals in 1993 branches and soon all our customers will
be able to benefit by this.
LIC has established an elaborate Grievance Redressal machinery in order to deal with
problems of customers. The grievance redressal cells are operative at all levels i.e. Branch,
Divisional, Zonal and Corporate offices. Specially designated officers attend to
policyholder's complaints.
RALLY ORGANISATION
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LIC has organized a massive rally to pay homage martyrs of Kargil to provide moral support
to the Indian army.
PR And Publicity Conferences
PR and Publicity Conferences arranged at the central office in which the Chairman
emphasized the need to reposition the organization the organization in the emerging
cooperative scenario with the help of revised PR and publicity strategies because it was
found out by a survey that the level of customer satisfaction is not very high.
Press Releases
Press releases regarding important news are released from time to time so that people are
kept informed and they know about them.
Customer Meets
Periodical customer meets are organized at Divisional and Branch level to facilitate greater
interaction with policyholders.
Publicity Pavilion
Publicity Pavilion are arranged to display information about PR and Publicity activities of
LIC.
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Public Relations Of LIC Of India
A high profile committee has been constituted by the Central office with eminent persons
from the consumer’s movement being its member to advice and guide LIC on maters
concerning consumer interests.
Exhibitions
LIC arranges its various schemes and exhibitions so that it can display its various schemes
and plans.
Citizens Charter
The corporation has adopted a Citizens Charter wherein commitments have been made to its
customers for higher standards in servicing.
Sponsorship
LIC sponsors many events like chess tournaments table tennis tournaments for the
employees and also for the general public. It has also sponsored a health camp
organized by ‘Masoom’ – an organization of understanding and fraternity.
Publicity Stalls
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Publicity stalls are been put up by LIC at different fairs and melas to publicize the
corporation and its schemes and plans.
Public Functions
Inauguration of new offices helps in communication as well as in enhancing the image of the
corporation.
Insurance Week
An insurance week was arranged by LIC through which people were exposed to various
insurance schemes of LIC.
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Advertisement about LIC are frequently been telecast on radio and satellite channel.
Training Programmes
Training programmes are arranged by LIC for its employees so that they can be trained for
the purpose of public relation activities.
Meetings
Meetings of Development officers are arranged by LIC to train their employees for public
relation activities.
CONCLUSION
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Public Relation came into existence by the belief that if we do something good for people
then only the people will say well about the organization. Today's is an age of competition.
And to remain firm in the competition depends on how efficiently the
Organization manages its PR & projects the company's image.
Public Relation will not sell goods and Services but it is bound to create an atmosphere
which will make the free enterprise, a responsible enterprise. Public Relations, in fact Will
prove to be the most effective tool for communicating with the
People who are still remote from industry for convincing them that
Corporate objectives are ultimately in the interest of the public.
The PR Mantra has now become pervasive. Neither a individual nor the organization & not
even the government Or a UN body can thrive or sustain in this age without effectively
strategizing PR.
Bibliography
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Webliography
• LIC India.com
• AltaVista.com
• Find Articles.com
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