Holiday Inn Express is going mobile in more ways than one by hitting the road with a Pancake Selfie Express vehicle that enables flapjack enthusiasts to print a selfie on a pancake as part of the hospitality brand?s efforts to advertise its Express Start breakfast.

The InterContinental Hotel Group?s brand is taking the Pancake Selfie Express on a nine-city tour across the United States? Southwest and West Coast. Frequent guests at Holiday Inn Express properties may recognize its ?Stack Station? pancake maker, which takes mobile?s tangibility one step further by superimposing consumers? favorite selfies on their breakfasts.

?Even before we launched our campaign, we saw a lot of Holiday Inn Express guests posting about our amazing one-touch pancake machine on social media,? said Jennifer Gribble, vice president of Holiday Inn Express Brand, Americas, IHG. ?We wanted to celebrate their enthusiasm with the addition of a one-of-a-kind selfie experience that is both fun and sharable.

?We know our guests love our pancake machine and also that people love taking selfies,? she said. ?In fact, according to Phandroid.com, approximately 93 million selfies are taken every day.

?So we couldn?t think of a better mashup than combining three things that people are crazy about ? food trucks, state-of-the-art technology and selfies!?

Innovating breakfast
The Pancake Selfie Express tour was launched to complement Holiday Inn Express? Stay Smart campaign. The hotel marketer understands the power and popularity of selfies, and is combining that with promotion for its Express Start breakfast to offer consumers a clever and memorable way of eating pancakes.

Frequent travelers have proved their affinity for the one-touch flapjack making station. The hospitality brand is leveraging this technology alongside the selfie to stock the Selfie Express vehicle with several pancake-making machines.

Consumers who catch the Pancake Selfie Express on tour will be able to use a machine?s laser function, which imprints selfies taken via guests? smartphones directly onto the flapjacks. Passersby can easily grab a photo of themselves with a family member or friend and have it superimposed onto their breakfast.

This feature has strong potential to go viral, as consumers who encounter the bus will undoubtedly post their selfie-adorned pancakes on social media accounts to share with followers. The pancakes are also free of charge, which will entice many locals seeking a sweet treat.

The nine-city tour includes stops in Dallas, Austin, Phoenix, San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento, beginning this week.

Individuals interested in trying out the first-of-its-kind selfie technology may visit Holiday Inn Express? Twitter and Facebook pages, as well as staysmart.com to receive updates on the bus?s whereabouts.

?We are tremendously excited to bring pancakes and selfies to the people, and we think consumers will be equally excited to visit,? Ms. Gribble said.

?We believe the ?Pancake Selfie Express? will not only help drive awareness and preference for the Holiday Inn Express brand through the personal experience each truck visitor will have, but also serve as a great tool to encourage social media conversation about the brand and our Express Start breakfast offering.?

Additive experiences
While many hotel brands tap mobile for marketing opportunities, Holiday Inn Express? unique angle has the potential to reach a wider audience of consumers. Instead of posting branded content solely on social networks, the marketer is taking to the streets of the United States to run into a slew of individuals, fans or not.

Guests that stop by the Pancake Selfie Express will have the ability to win breakfast-inspired swag as well as IHG Rewards Club points, which can be used for future stays at Holiday Inn Express hotels. This is an optimal way of raising awareness for the loyalty program, as consumers? first experiences with it will be in an engaging environment.

Those who stop by to make a pancake and win rewards points may be swayed to stay at Holiday Inn Express property the next time they travel.

?Our target guest is the ?Smart Traveler,?? Ms. Gribble said. ?They are independent and self-sufficient, value simplicity and efficiency, and they are always connected.

?On average, our guests travel with approximately four devices and are always on,? she said. ?Based on this insight, we know that a strong mobile strategy isn?t just a nice to have.

?In order to effectively reach our target guests, mobile is a must.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely, editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York