NEW YORK: The Toy Industry Association is adding a new twist to its annual holiday toy-safety PR campaign, offering consumers an online toy-safety quiz in which correct answers are automatically e-mailed to individuals who take it.
The association's agency for the past four years, Glen Ridge, NJ-based PJ Inc., has used a quiz before, but wanted to make it more user-friendly and educational this year, explained Pamela Johnston, president.
"What we're trying to emphasize is that you can be very smart and a busy parent, but there could be things you don't know about toy safety," she said.
The idea behind e-mailing the answers is that it keeps people thinking about toy safety even after they're done taking the quiz on the association's website, Johnston explained.
The Toy IQ Quiz offers a $200 first-prize shopping spree at any toy store of the winner's choice. In the past, prizes were awarded based on a high score on the test. But this year, random drawings will award first-, second-, and third-place prizes, Johnston said. The change was made to encourage more people - and their children - to take the quiz.
In addition to the quiz, Johnston's firm also sends representatives to various media events discussing unsafe toys, which are staged during the holiday shopping season.