After the hugely successful Nabaztag, our friends at Violet have introduced Mir:ror. Simply stated, Mir:ror is an RFID reader. But in fact, it is really a pretty complete platform and a gateway that bridges the real and virtual worlds.

Fostering customer loyalty is a key challenge for many brands these days. As our economy shifts from being product-based to becoming more experience-based, Mir:ror allows companies to provide clients with more than just a manufactured static good or a time-bounded service. With Mir:ror, the client’s experience can begin before and end well after his or her contact with the supplier, the goods or the services.

For example, imagine you bought tickets for an event such as a hockey game or a concert. The tickets could include a unique signature, using an RFID tag that costs just a few cents to produce. When you place the ticket on the Mir:ror, it would launch an interactive experience on the client’s computer. The experience can be a one-time preview or it can evolve to show new content at regular intervals up until the day of the event. Content can come in the form of information, education, promotions and other types of multimedia interactions. After the event, clients could scan the ticket stub again to view videos, pictures and personalized messages triggering memories of the experience and creating further engagement. This also provides an easy and relevant venue for promoting the next event, up-selling or cross-selling them similar products or just turning them into fans.

In the off-the-shelf product world, Mir:ror can help extend the “shopping experience” beyond the mall, store, or showroom the product was purchased in. A digital camera, clothing accessory, or even a car key can trigger a personalized and context-relevant experience. A simple scan can provide users with product information, connect them to other users or fans, or present them with related products and services.

The idea with Mir:ror is to promote engagement and to transform from a passive user into an engaged fan.

Mir:ror’s platform is designed to be easy and cost-efficient for brands to leverage to create unique user experiences. The server-side can collaborate with existing web services while client interactions can be programmed in a proven and widely standardized language: ECMAscript (formerly known as Javascript).

One can easily imagine how Mir:ror enabled devices can be integrated into existing social networks such as Facebook and virtual worlds such as Second Life or World of Warcraft.

I’d welcome your comments and would be glad to refer you to our good friends and partners at Violet.