The Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly is using mobile as a customer relationship management tool and a way to connect its brand to fans.

The tournament selected on-demand email and marketing provider ExactTarget to power the interactive communications for the U.S. Open Series event in Indianapolis. The tournament used ExactTarget's integrated Web-based messaging platform to allow fans to sign up for newsletters via text messaging and online, receive personalized voice messaging updates from tour athletes including Andy Roddick and participate in on-site interactive quizzes to compete for prizes via text messaging.

"We're trying to interact with fans on a more intimate level and gauge their interest in participation via SMS during the event," said Brandon Moore, social media manager for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

"Other sports have tried it, so we wanted to create an interaction with our fans during the event using mobile, and it was a very positive experience, and it's something we're looking to do again," he said.

The Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly is an ATP Tour event held annually in Indianapolis and is a part of the Olympus U.S. Open Series.

ExactTarget Inc.

The Indianapolis Tennis Championships has also sought out additional subscribers online and through radio advertisements with an SMS call-to-action.

The tournament lets fans opt-in to receive voice-messaging updates and offers from the tournament and athletes.

The most recent technology addition to the tournament is the interactive text-message quizzes featured on the tournament's Jumbotrons.

The large screens featured trivia questions that let fans to reply with an answer via SMS for a chance to win prizes and discounts.

ExactTarget ran an SMS ticket promotion whereby fans could text in a keyword to receive a promotional code to be used at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships' box office for buy-one-get-one free tickets.

During each session at the eight-day tournament, ExactTarget ran a poll or trivia question on the videoboard and fans were invited to text INDYTENNIS VOTE A/B/C/D for either the correct answer or their opinion of the question.

A winner was randomly selected each session and received a gift card from Finish Line.

The selection of ExactTarget to power the interactive communications for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships comes less than three months after the integrated one-to-one marketing provider powered the interactive communications for ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

In April, ExactTarget powered the communications for the show's featured homebuilder The Estridge Companies in Indianapolis.

Estridge used ExactTarget's software to register people to receive news alerts about the build and to send email and voice messages to volunteers reminding them of their up-coming shifts.

The builder also used ExactTarget's text messaging capabilities to allow people visiting the build site to text in questions about Estridge or any of the products used on the build.

The Indianapolis Tennis Tournament was satisfied with the results of its mobile initiatives, and plans to bring them back for next year's tournament.

"ExactTarget provides a level of technical expertise to reach our fans on a grand scale using mobile," Mr. Moore said. "From a technological standpoint, they were invaluable in helping us interact with our fanbase, which is one of the most important things we can do for our tournament.

"This was our first experience in mobile, and we are the first U.S. open series hard-court tournament to try something like this," he said. "We were the training ground and now we can see how mobile technology like this can be useful for reaching out to fans."