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5THE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE INSURANCE POSTER IN RUSSIA
Abstract
The article describes the nature and causes of the posters, and the main historical stages of development of the insurance poster as part of the insurance advertising used by insurance companies for selling their services. The author summarizes the practice of pre-revolutionary and Soviet art of advertising, as well as peculiarities of advertising posters Gosstrakh, which is characteristic for various periods of functioning of the insurance company in the domestic insurance market, the relationship between shown in the insurance information posters with political reforms in our country.The main conclusions of the study are to establish the fact of the wide use of the insurance poster in the promotional activities of insurance companies and identifying direct proportion to the form and content of posters from the historic period of development of our state. Although at present, insurance companies pay little attention to this way of communicating information, the history of development of insurance of the poster indicates its high efficiency.
Keywords
insurance, advertising, state insurance, insurance poster
AUTHOR
Oksana Suslyakova
Ph.D. Professor, Associate Professor Finance and Credit Department Financial University under the Government of Russian Federation, Kaluga Branch
Kaluga, Russia finans-11@mail.ru
Poster as a carrier of certain information is the oldest tool of advertising. The first posters appeared in the XV century and has always been used to lucidly and clearly convey to the viewer the essence of displaying information.
The insurance company at all times actively used posters to promote their services, because before the advent of television and electronic media posters helped to make insurance straightforward, fashionable and attractive (Sergienko, Suslyakova, 2015). Do not forget that the insurance activity is one of the most challenging in the financial sector. Insurers essentially sell promises to reimburse possible damage, which may arise from physical or legal entities upon the occurrence of certain events in their lives. And this service is not the most important in the cost structure. Therefore, insurance companies have to resort to various methods to attract potential policyholders, including intelligently take advantage of poster art, which allows to visualize the importance and necessity of insurance protection.
It should be noted that the greatest contribution to the development of the insurance of the poster as an important part of advertising activity in insurance has made Britain and France, which formed the basic principles and laws of poster art:
- selection of large print contractor's services or the product;
- the use of attractive, memorable images that demonstrate the benefits of the acquisition services of goods;
- a brief explanation of the benefits of purchasing services from this seller;
- conditions of purchase and possible discounts (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012).
The first posters of the Russian insurance companies were overloaded with colors, shapes, and patterns, creating an image of solid, dependable companies that you trust. And it was justified because at that time the end of XIX century - there was no other way to get a potential consumer of insurance services to draw attention to themselves. Later, in the middle of the twentieth century, the posters will be simpler, easier, and at the initial stage of its development, the posters were a true work of art.
A huge influence on poster art has had a modern - art movement in art of the late XIX - early XX century, authors and followers of which have focused on natural flowing lines, ornaments of the vegetable world, seeking to beautify and involve into the sphere of all directions of human life. Insurance posters of that period resemble colorful postcards with beautiful successful people, using the services of insurance companies and worry for their lives and property. That's what the posters of the insurance company "Russia", dedicated to the insurance of passengers, and posters of the insurance company "Anchor", campaigning to insure their Luggage for the trip (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012).
Also of note is a rather bold advertising move insurers, for the first time, orienting their services to young successful women. Don't forget that in Russia at that period, women had virtually no rights, limited role of housewife, and women in advertising of insurance services was an innovative advertising solution.
Another common detail of insurance posters of that period can be called the image of the anchor, which is a symbol of tranquility, stability and patience - so, according to the authors, and must be perceived by insurance company potential consumers of its services. Anchor widely used posters such insurance companies as "Hope", "Russia", "Anchor", etc. Often insurers used images of statues of Greek gods to protect the residents from possible misfortunes.
Quite popular among insurers was the image of the family has not lost its relevance nowadays. On the posters, is dedicated to life insurance, depicting the happy couple and their children are protected by the insurance policy reliable insurance company and confidently looking to the future (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012).
Actively used posters in advertising voluntary insurance and mutual insurance companies clearly and vividly demonstrating to the peasants the importance of the contract of property insurance from fire and animals from disease. The technique of mapping insured and non-insured objects, and, accordingly, confident in their future and left with nothing of the peasants, will continue to be widely used by insurers in the Soviet period of development of insurance in our country.
Thus, posters of pre-revolutionary insurance companies were distinguished by the brilliance, ingenuity and very clearly demonstrated the necessity of appeal to the insurance company. And marketing techniques used by the artists of that period, apply in the modern practice of advertising of insurance services.
After the October revolution of 1917 and the ensuing Civil war, all the forces of the young Soviet Republic was thrown on the struggle against the "class enemy", including in art, denying all the accumulated traditions of old Russia. New artists of constructivism, among them Alexander Rodchenko and A. Lavinsky, created in the early 1920-ies the new language of post-revolutionary advertising. To replace living a beautiful picture of the bourgeois life came to a pointed graphic shapes (particularly popular triangles) in black, red and Golden color (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012). This direction is known as the avantgarde.
However, the highest mark in Soviet art were created by artists who worked in a more realistic manner image, and that they actively involved the state monopolies with the aim of informing the public about the resumed service insurance and need to go to the only state insurance company in the country.
Insurance posters of the 1920-ies the content still largely resemble the pre-revolutionary, but there is no letter "Yat", "izhitsa", etc. (the alphabet has changed after
the reform of writing 1917-1918), and in the fields had the sign "Glavlit", which meant that the poster was a preliminary test Main administration for Affairs of literature and publishing established in 1922 (Suslyakova, 2011).
Already in this period, in 1920-ies, state in their marketing activ'ties began to be widely apply 'split screen' display information in a limited space, reminiscent of the comics. This has become a distinctive feature of the promotional posters Gosstrakh for many decades (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012).
Also of note is the rather aggressive nature of the insurance posters of the period, focuses on the threats and the fears of the insured (fire, grieving people, the dead animals), highlighted by bright, contrasting colors (bright red, black, orange). Now this technique in advertising Rosgosstrakh is not used, since man is unconsciously always tends to displace the pattern of grief, along with the source of his troubles. Much more efficient to create a positive image of the insurer, able to protect their clients in any situation.
At the same time on the posters Gosstrakh appeared simple slogans: «If the insured house and the horse, then, is not afraid of fire», «If hit by lightning - the state insurance is responsible» and so forth, in poetic form reflecting the need to appeal to the insurance company.
Another feature of advertising activity of Gosstrakh of the 1920-ies was the appeal to the people of the republics in the Soviet Union in their native languages - Ukrainian, Belarusian, Tatar, etc., and often the posters were immediately carried out in several ways. It should be noted that posters Gosstrakh attracted not only individual artists, but entire art Studio (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012).
Since 1930-ies in the insurance posters starts to dominate the active Communist propaganda, which was generally in line with the state system and politics of our country at that time. The posters appear quotations from the decisions of the Central Committee of the all-Union Communist party of Bolsheviks, as well as appeals to the conscience of citizens, the Worker, their participation in the collective insurance you provide for yourself, your family and help raise funds for socialist construction" (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012).
A characteristic feature of advertising activity of Gosstrakh was the image of the moment of the decision on insurance is a collective choice of workers. In addition, the first posters began to portray the amount of payments for certain types of insurance and for the whole year, and today is one of the indicators of efficiency of activity of the insurance company. Also, the posters began to appear the subjects of public and private wealth - agricultural, well-kept herds, solid houses, radio, sewing machine, samovar, etc. (Suslyakova, 2011).
The great Patriotic war has caused a new rise of Soviet poster art. During the war, propaganda poster is striking, disturbing, memorable - has played a huge role in mobilizing all forces for the struggle against fascism. But in practice of insurance of the posters, as before, touting a successful and prosperous life. And in regions not involved in military actions, state insurance spread is absolutely peaceful that promote such non-military service life insurance.
Artists in the war period portrayed in the posters that wanted to see the war-weary people who dreamed of a peaceful life: home decor, luxury items (piano, furniture), eared fields, happy faces (Suslyakova, 2015).
In the postwar period, the posters began to portray a hero at the front, inviting in a state insurance policy for the insurance, they believed, because people who went through the war, enjoyed great respect. At the same time, there was a poster of a long-li^ng, devoted to life insurance. In this and several other posters key was to take a large image of the policy of state monopolies on the letterhead, as well as a characteristic hand gesture (finger) on the policy, the state insurance logo or other important information. In
1945 there was a poster dedicated to the promotion of new service - agent call home on the phone (Suslyakova, Sergienko, 2015).
In 1950-ies the level of welfare of citizens increases, the mass production of cars, which immediately reflected in the advertising activity of Gosstrakh - appear in a poster campaign on citizens to insure your car or motorcycle.
Political changes of the 1960-ies affected the posters Gosstrakh. Expanding contacts with the West led to the fact that the Soviet insurance is in form and content began to resemble insurance posters the largest foreign insurance companies. It can also be noted that in advertising of the period significantly increased the number of images of children because of these cumulative types of insurance children to adulthood (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012).
1970-e years are considered to be the heyday of the USSR, the economy was booming, the border opened, people believed in a brighter future - all this had an impact on the posters Gosstrakh, they have become more bright, open and trendy. Insurance poster at the time working on the development of a consumer society, showing ordinary citizens the reference standard of living - cars, resorts, TVs, wall cabinets and sideboards, rustic home, and happy couple. The specialists say that is established in USSR 70-ies often overtook Western counterparts in quality and expressiveness (Minasbekyan, Zubets, 2012). It should also be noted that advertising in addition to commercial began to fulfil a social function, preventing accidents on the roads.
Posters Gosstrakh of the 1980-ies fully reflects the era of stagnation. The posters of the time often depict flowers.
In the 1990-ies there has been a breakdown of the country, restructured state monopolies in insurance and this is certainly the most difficult period of life of our state on the posters of the insurer portrayed everything I could to suggest reigning in the country raunch, ranging from Rubik's cube to naked women. Begun in 80-e years the backlog of the Russian art from foreign practices continued.
2000-e years were a period of formation and development of Russian insurance market, competition and the search for methods of attracting customers, where the important role advertising plays. However, Russian insurers very little attention is paid to this part of the marketing activities, especially poster art, replacing it with television and advertising in the media and on the Internet.
As for the Rosgosstrakh, since 2002 with the change management team there are new images and promotional tools, relevant achievements and rules, marketing science. The company has a new logo and slogan "Under the wing of a strong team", the colours were limited to white and maroon as a combination of unity, openness and solidity, confidence, conservatism - those traits with which must be associated the largest insurance company in the country (Suslyakova, 2016).
In summary, we can say that the poster art was widely used in insurance activities since ancient times. In the pre-revolutionary period of development of the insurance market insurance posters were virtually the only way to force potential policyholders to pay attention to the insurer and therefore in form and content, they often resembled a work of art. And marketing techniques used by the artists of that period, are widely used in modern practice of advertising of insurance services.
The Soviet period of the development of poster art is best seen on the posters Gosstrakh, giving a complete picture of marketing activities the only insurer of the Soviet state. Although at present, insurance companies pay little attention to this way of communicating information, the history of development of insurance of the poster indicates its high efficiency, and direct dependence on the historical stage of development of our state.
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