To Better Satisfy the Customers with Social Media - A Marketing Perspective from Clippers

. Consumer satisfaction is of crucial importance for sports management. This article aimed to find out how to satisfy fans of the Clippers team from a marketing perspective. Based on the Marketing Mix theory including product, promotion, price, and place, the research discovered the connection between Marketing Mix theory and satisfaction. With each method asserting a different influence on consumer satisfaction, many examples helped to understand how Marketing Mix theory can affect consumer satisfaction. If the connection between the Marketing Mix theory and consumer satisfaction is known to be clear, people will know exactly what consumers want and how to better satisfy them. There are also some methods used in the example to help make better understand t. This article also used the SWOT method: strength, weakness, threat, and opportunity to research. This paper applied this method on social media to change how fans view the Clippers team, and how to promote the fan's loyalty. This paper aims to help the Clippers team find out a better way to better satisfy consumers.


Background
National Basketball Association (NBA) has long been a popular entertainment across the globe, the sport has evolved to a stage where development incorporates not only just playing basketball on the ground, but a comprehensive niche built by social media, interactive activities, high-tech facilities, and professional fans [1]. In the 21st century, social media can play as a beneficial catalyst in and outside stadiums, meaning its boost to enhance consumers' experience, to better satisfy them. This essay looked at the role and effect of social media on improving fandom's experience since social media appeared increasingly significant in the NBA as it bonds fans together, expands the team's influence, and functions as a bridge between players and fandoms. Besides, 21st century is an era full of digitalization, such as social media, e-newspaper, journals, and television, which empowered many traditional sectors, let alone basketball. To improve fans' satisfaction, one must first understand how companies can satisfy fans' demands, then they can use social media to make improvements. Furthermore, the fans' involvement extent with the team weighs heavily in the success of creating a successful atmosphere [2]. Active engagement from fans would create more commercial revenue and customer consumption for the team, such as LA Clippers. Thus, with the emergence of social media, connecting teams with fans is much easier than expected. It exhibited exceptional advantages over traditional mediums, including asset-light without heavy investment, extreme efficiency with the internet, and digitalization, which simplified the process of online marketing compared to traditional ones, which make employees distribute flyers on street. As this essay examined social media's influence, firstly starting with viewership, social media played a crucial role in expanding the team's influence well beyond America. An influential team could attract more fans from all sectors, resulting in a positive cyclemore high-tech facilities, better players with sufficient funds, enthusiastic audiences, and more fans following the team, creating more viewership [2]. Specifically, social media, take Clippers for example, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, created an effective online platform for people to discuss games or players, and to exchange ideas with others, which contribute to activity when retweeting, forwarding, or commenting [2]. This communication can act as a population magnet on social media platforms, attracting fans or non-sports fans to participate in discussions from various countries. Secondly, competition between teams within NBA is magnificent, not to mention that the Clippers share a host city, Los Angeles, with the renowned LA Lakers, where Kobi Bryant once served. Under this situation, social media can be a strategic outpost where the Clippers attract more loyal fans, for revenue from tickets as well as long-term prestige and satisfaction. To win this marketing battle, Clippers is expected to take full advantage of social media by broadcasting the latest news, live streaming, and organizing campaigns periodically to glue fans with the team. Moreover, these techniques showed social media's superiority over traditional media like printed newspapers [3]. Consequently, Online media can quickly enlarge the team's influence, thus bringing more commercial and sponsorship opportunities for the team. In sum, social media is an inevitable tool for Clippers, considering its efficacy in the 21st century, which can not only attract more fans but multiply the brand's knowledge as well.

Research Gap
Social media can be broadly defined as Twitter or Facebook since they are the eminent ones. Still, social media is an online platform where people converse, create, and share information or knowledge with other individuals [2]. Besides, it consists of three major elements, individual-generated content (UGC), firm-generated content (FGC), and social media advertising (SMads) [3]. Earlier research has focused on how social media can contribute to more advertisements or commercial revenue provided it's owned by a firm or corporation, as FGC and SMads do. These marketing behaviors effectively create sports consumption by allowing customers to research what they want to purchase, compare between products, and make decisions [4]. For example, they search for the content created through UGC to better understand the sporting equipment they want. Then, from social media potential consumers can interact with others for an authentic product experience, thus avoiding being blinded by targeted advertisements. Social media fostered the consumption of consumers and broadened the brand's influence. This research tries to determine factors and ways in which Clippers can use social media to increase its influence over fans and link them more closely with supporters.

Structure of this paper
Firstly, it's reasonable to investigate the usage of social media other than just making a profit, which is probably the company's eventual goal though. Intangible asset, like recognition, loyalty, and enthusiasm from fans, is not easily obtained through money, the team has to earn it. Besides, these elusive properties define fandom's satisfaction. Then, the presence of social media offered teams like the Clippers a golden opportunity to connect between teams and fans. Social media is instantaneous, highly efficient, and easily emanated, allowing Clippers an effective marketing platform to increase engagement. Moreover, after examining social media's advantages, this essay will demonstrate ways in which Clippers may use social media and its possible outcomes.

The 4Ps theory
The 4Ps idea was developed in conjunction with the Marketing Mix Theory in the 1960s. In Neil Borden's inaugural address to the America Marketing Society in 1953 [5]. Neil Borden coined the phrase "marketing mix," which refers to the distorted market modified in some manner by so-called "market variables" or "marketing factors" [5]. Enterprises must efficiently integrate these factors to fulfill market demand, investigate a specific market reaction, and ultimately maximize profit. In Jerome McCarthy's book "Basic Marketing," published in the 1960s, Jerome McCarthy categorized these variables into four categories: product, price, location, and promotion, sometimes known as the 4Ps [5]. Philip Kotler verified the 4Ps marketing mix strategy, namely Product Price Place Promotion, in the first edition of his blockbuster "Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, and Control" in 1967 [5].

Important result
First and foremost, the quality of the product will influence user happiness. The greater the quality, the more satisfied customers are, and the more positive their opinion about the product is. There are a few examples of how this conclusion might be demonstrated. Firstly, Tata Motors reach this conclusion. Tata Motors is dedicated to establishing industry leadership via economic success while upholding core values and principles to improve the quality of life in the communities it serves. Tata Motors Company produces high-quality automobiles that fulfill India's highest quality requirements as well as the needs of its customers. Their goal in producing their products is to be India's value and happiness leaders. Quality has been an elusive concept in the automotive industry [6]. The totality of features and characteristics of a product or service bears on its ability to satisfy given needs [6]. If a product fulfills the customer's expectations, the customer will be pleased and consider that the product is of acceptable or even high quality [6]. While studies on how quality affects customer satisfaction have been going on for more than two decades, most of the research on how quality affects satisfaction and loyalty in the past has focused largely on the pure product or pure service settings [6]. This is also the conclusion of the study on the American automobile market. This research looked at product quality as well as consumer satisfaction. To tackle the research's key difficulties, this essay examined several factors such as lifetime value theory, product quality theory, product cost theory, product safety theory, and quality control theory, which all encouraged the increase in customer happiness and loyalty. Production management functionaries should measure, understand, and improve the production process and material flow [7]. Goods and services can be produced by enhanced safety specifications to meet or exceed prevailing consumer flavor and expectations to enhance revenue acquisitions for businesses [7]. Another study discovered a link between customer happiness and product quality. Better product quality, according to Djumarno's research, would retain high consumer satisfaction while also encouraging future purchases. Customers consider the product's quality while determining whether or not to purchase. If the consumer feels the goods are qualified, he or she will be satisfied. Customer satisfaction can be interpreted as a feeling of pleasure or disappointment from a customer when he compares his perceptions of the performance of a product or service with the desired expectations [8]. Thus, customer satisfaction is important, leads to the company's financial success, and contributes to the company's sustainable development [8].
The consumer will be satisfied if the pricing is reasonable. After the intended amount of customer benefit is attained, Han and others at Djumarno claim that the right pricing may boost customer happiness, encouraging consumers to continue to trust and repeat purchases. Customers with a favorable view are more likely to be satisfied, whereas those with a negative perception are more likely to be unsatisfied and hence less likely to return the product. Customer satisfaction can also be formed when sacrifices are issued by the value received, which means the price of the product is by the benefits obtained [9]. A suitable price can satisfy consumers. Djumarno and Han think that when the appropriate price achieves consumer expectations, it can encourage consumers to trust it and continuously buy it. Customers who have favorable thoughts about a product are more likely to be satisfied, whereas those who have negative feelings are more likely to be unsatisfied and hence less likely to return it. On the other hand, this study is different from previous research, significant and insignificant regarding the effect of price on customers' satisfaction [10]. Effect of service quality on customer loyalty in the airline service industry sector on the route Jakarta -Makassar has a negative and significant effect on customer loyalty [10]. This negative effect cannot be separated from the poor quality of service by the airline service industry with no significant influence on customer satisfaction [10]. Thirdly, this research also expresses that people need to have a suitable price for different consumers. Research is for investigation of the gap between price and satisfaction. According to the new Stanford Graduate School of Business academics. And if one is at Caltech, tell him or her that they are sampling two distinct wines, one of which is five dollars and the other is 45 dollars, but they are the same wine. The portion of the brain that receives and responds to requests. Drinkers' bodies become more active when they believe they are drinking. Or she may be sipping a more expensive vintage. "We have documented that price is not just about the price, but it affects the real quality" [11]. Says Marketing professor Barba Schiff Wrote a paper entitled "Marketing Behavior can be modulated" [11]. Neural representation of experiencing pleasure [11]." They appear in the Jan. 14 issue of NA-Proceedings [11]. Academy of Tonal Sciences. "So, essentially, the price is to change the way people experience the product So it's a consequence of consuming this product" [11].
Appropriate sites can meet the needs of customers. For starters, research backs up this judgment. For data gathering, the researchers created a 39-item structured questionnaire. A sample of 225 people shopping at the store. The 39 variables were divided into 14 groups by exploratory factor analysis. In addition, the regressive analysis shows that six variables were significant predictors of consumer satisfaction at the 5% level. The significance of factors such as social desirability and staff friendliness implies that many consumers prefer those typical features of small stores [12]. Second, the location has a big and beneficial impact on client satisfaction. Customer satisfaction rises as the location of McDonald's Green Garden branch improves. McDonald's Green Garden outlets' strategic position or ease of access might boost customer satisfaction. Service quality has no positive effect on repurchase interest, that is, consumers do not consider the service quality provided by McDonald's Green Garden branch. [13] Last but not least, location refers to the place chosen by the developer for the construction of the house. The choice of location is a key competitive component in recruiting clients. Whether in the heart of the region or on the outskirts, the presence of housing has a significant impact on customers' desire to buy a home. The better and stronger the demand for housing, the more strategically positioned it is. The availability of inexpensive housing is tricky, and it presents a problem for consumers who want to pick and choose what they want in their homes. The distance to workplaces, entertainment places, and public facilities as an effective motivation for time and cost of transportation is an economic factor that becomes a consumer's consideration when choosing target locations [14].
More promotion will attract more customers and increase their satisfaction. First and foremost, the results of the SPSS study reveal that promotion affects customer satisfaction. As can be observed from the t-test (partial test) value, the promotion variable has a value of 2.370, which is higher than the T table's value of 1.66, and the significant level of 0.014 is less than 0.05, indicating that promotion has an impact on consumer satisfaction. The association between the two promotion variables and customer happiness is positive, implying that the more promotions Guoliang offer, the more satisfied customers are. In other words, frequent and frequent advertisements of appropriate food products can boost customer happiness. The positive and significant influence of promotion on consumer satisfaction indicates the importance of promotion in improving consumer satisfaction [15]. If they have an active promotion, they will show interest, have attention, and want to buy good food products [15]. Another example shows how the marketing may bring in and keep more clients. The statistical investigation confirmed the notion that promotion has a significant influence on customer satisfaction. This also illustrates that Alfabelenskin Pusat Banyuwangi's promos are tailored to meet the needs of its customers. Companies must use promotion as one of the components in the marketing mix to advertise their products effectively. Consumers will not buy a product if they have never heard of it and are unsure whether or not it will be valuable to them. Basically, promotion is all activities that intend to communicate or convey a product to the target market to provide information about its features, uses, and most importantly its existence, to change attitudes or encourage people to act (in this case buy) [16]. The main purpose of promotion is to inform, influence and persuade and remind consumers [16]. The study was conducted among motorcycle-riding students at the Indragiri Rengati School of Economics. The goal of this research is to evaluate how promotions and service quality impact motorcycle consumer satisfaction (STIE Indragiri as a case study). The sample size was increased to 94 persons. The data was analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 21 tool. The findings suggest that: (1) promotional activities have a moderate impact on motorcycle consumer satisfaction; and (2) promotional activities have a moderate impact on motorcycle consumer satisfaction (STIE Indragiri students as an example). (2) Motorcycle customer happiness is influenced in part by service quality (take SITE Indragiri as an example). (3) Motorcycle customer happiness is influenced by both promotion and service excellence (taking SITE Indragiri students as an example). Promotion and service quality variables strongly influence consumer satisfaction variables, contributing 86% [17].

Summary
Companies can use 4P's in their research. For products, if they want to satisfy certain customers, it needs to figure out what products consumers like, and how much industries can charge. Companies need to deal with the ways that how to advertise so that consumers are willing to buy the products and thus maximize the utility. The price is the most important factor determining whether consumers will buy the products or not. Firms need to consider many things here. Not just how much can be earned, and whether this price can satisfy consumers or not. For places, the LA Clippers recently built a new stadium called Intuit Dome. This stadium has the most advanced technology and the most comfortable environment for Clippers fans to watch the games. So, places are also an important factor that satisfies fans. For promotion， if the Clippers can lower the prices of tickets. they can satisfy the fans because they can get the same utility at lower prices.

Research design
This research will use qualitative analysis as this research method. Qualitative analysis is a method for researchers to obtain results through non-quantitative methods such as literature review, historical experience, observation and review, and interviews. SWOT (Strength, weakness, opportunity, threat) is a popular tool for people to assess the risk and viability of a business initiative, which becomes increasingly important in a company's decision-making process [18]. Both internal and external elements were included in the SWOT analysis. Social media looks to be an effective instrument for the sports industry to better serve its clientele, according to a statistical study. Strengths are things that the firm excels at or that differentiates from the competition in some manner. Consider the advantages the company has over its rivals. These elements might be the motivation of personnel, the availability of specialized resources, or a well-designed manufacturing process. Focus on people, resources, systems, and procedures since a company's deficiencies are just as vital as its strengths. Think about what they can improve and what they should avoid. There are possibilities, or chances for something wonderful to happen, but people must earn them. Any external danger, such as supply chain problems, market demand shifts, or manpower constraints, is a threat. It is vital to anticipate dangers and respond before becoming a victim and experiencing a halt in their progress.

Clippers
The Clippers are a very interesting team. That is, they do not have many fans. So, this led to there being almost no one studying this. If people want to satisfy Clippers fans. What people need to know is what they need. The Clippers are like a forgotten stepchild, and even that is too broad a metaphor. Of the four major professional sports, the Clippers are the most incompetent. Such a colossal failure must mean something. So, think about it: The Clippers have to lose so people can remember that there isn't always light at the end of the tunnel, there isn't necessarily redemption, and there may not be another season. As a Clippers fan, they can never hope for this team. Always believe in a team that will never win. This past offseason was a prime example of what clippers fans go through. One of the clippers fans says that when he walked around Los Angeles wearing a Clippers cap like a secret society, random people would talk to him about the team. It's a secret club he belongs to. No one knows who the real Clippers are, but they can't help but get excited when they see another guy in Clippers gear. Perhaps the worst thing about being a Clippers fan is that fans come out and jump on the bandwagon when the team has been playing so well over the years and making big strides in the playoffs. Since no one is an obvious Clippers fan, they would be accused of following the crowd. People look at them and think they can't be a fan until they start winning.
Arguably, the Clippers haven't been very good. Sure, they won a few seasons and even a playoff series in Los Angeles, but they never really made it. Years of draft failures and coaching failures have destroyed the team's credibility and left fans in disarray. From the information, people can find out what they need, and people will according to their needs figure out how to satisfy them.

Strength
Social Media is an efficient, immediate communication medium to bridge the connection between customers and brands, hence contributing to improved satisfaction overall. Social Media Communications (SMC) has been employed by many teams of the National Basketball League (NBA) as a solution to increase fandom involvement and ensuing satisfaction [4]. SMC can have various advantages, reliability, and communication brought by its natureinstantaneousness, interaction, and diversity. Firstly, consumers relying on social media can exhibit greater trust over those accessing traditional medium gateways. Since social media information can be posted by verified accounts of corporation or professional players, this trusted and quick source of information disseminated by brands fuse consumers and teams, allowing fans to track what teams are doing and thus building up trust between two parties [4]. Secondly, in addition to its reliability, social media, at its essence, is established through interactive communication among organizations, users, and communities. The positive atmosphere created by interaction would further enhance fans' engagement [19]. Consequently, fans would have opportunities to exchange ideas with other followers on the platform, this instantaneous connection through the internet is unachievable and unimaginable by traditional media. Furthermore, social media functioned not only as a trusty and connected online forum for users but also as an effective platform for implementing marketing strategies. For companies, many tools on social media can be utilized for marketing, such as videos, votes, or simply making announcements. These trackable and observable means help the company to better manage its initiatives. Overall, strength generated from innate advantages lets teams organize their targets more effectively.

Weaknesses
Secondly, there are also some weaknesses associated with social media, which might bother the company's operation, though it's fairly manageable. The need for staff to maintain it is resulting from its instantaneousness, which may increase operational costs slightly. Then, social media incorporates images, videos, and various other means of conveying messages, thus requiring a complex collaboration between different departments within companies [18]. On the other hand, social media marketing is a newly emerging channel, which means that how companies can best utilize it needs more exploration. Next, although information forwarded by brands or Clippers, as authorities, is fairly trustworthy, yet heavy load of information from individuals might still sometimes confuse viewers, which contradicts ironically social media's strength of reliability [4]. It confounds consumers when they must spend a lot of time distinguishing truth from propaganda. Therefore, consumer loyalty may compromise unless the information filter or comment management mechanism is active.

Opportunity
External opportunities reveal themselves considering the prevalence of social media, which allows teams like the Clippers to better serve their fans. With the popularity of social media usage, it becomes easier for brands to build a social media matrixa diverse spectrum of information channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. As a result of mass media, disseminating news simultaneously to many users turns out to be viable [18]. Then, keeping consumers satisfied meant both outward and inward efforts, the latter which refers to crisis management as it is sometimes inevitable. Teams, like Clippers, will be prepared to solve public crises quickly with the assistance of social media. Those crises usually stemmed from scandals or game failures, when fans urgently need to receive a response or explanation from the team. In sum, the opportunities derived from its influence can combine seamlessly with its strength, that it is an effective tool for customer interaction and targeted marketing.

Threat
Threats are also perceivable in social media in terms of competition or poor operation. Competitiveness is severe for online marketing operations, there are many teams in the league, and how to outperform others is a challenge faced by the Clippers. To better meet consumers' demands, they have to come up with creative ideas and attractive initiatives that outshine others, since fans wouldn't want to be embarrassed by the poor image of the team [18]. In addition to creativity, operation decides niche's vibe on online platforms, social media staff has the duty of building a healthy forum discussion, which requires a deep understanding of how to manage the information posted and to build a positive brand impression [20].

Result & Discussion
In general, SWOT analysis has shown that social media present itself as a useful conduit for satisfying sport consumers. Though Social Media Communications (SMC) has potential drawbacks, including its difficulty to operate properly, possible prohibitive staff investment, and a large amount of unfiltered information which may confuse the audience, it still poses a dawning perspective for customers management. To specify, it offers the sports industry a channel to spread its influence and effectively respond to its fans. This increased engagement would allow fans to be glued closely with teams and players. In addition, various marketing campaigns can also increase consumers' satisfaction with the team. These creative activities spurred by interactive communication could also contribute to a successful brand establishment. Hence, SMC's SWOT analysis helped sports companies better evaluate their strategies, avoiding possible losses caused by inconsiderate actions.
SWOT analysis shows that social media is distinct from traditional counterparts in terms of its diversity and quickness. Traditional media is showing latency compared to digitized platforms, which caused a latent lack of certain competitiveness needed in the NBA, where the information generated needs to be delivered quickly. Social media platforms' interaction also makes it a desirable tool over traditional newspapers or radio when seeking to improve customers' satisfaction. For example, it would allow fans to converse unimpededly in comment sections or online forums, exchanging ideas simultaneously with each other and getting responses from official players or teams. This communication also contributes to the rapid development of social media.

Conclusion
According to the previous literature research, social media have unparalleled advantages compared to traditional media like newspapers, as it can spread news instantaneously and allows for an unhindered sociable platform, where people can exchange their ideas over a match or the players. In addition, these innate pros also make it a profitable tool for the company by posing advertisements and commercials. Hence, social media has become a heated spotlight for marketing activities, with public and private sectors across the globe actively taking advantage of its potential. Furthermore, this essay attempted to explore the influences of social media on the sports industry in terms of how fandom satisfaction can be improved.
The main findings are derived from some essential theories, which contribute to the discussion of this topic. Using the 4ps theory (product, price, promotion, place) help to analyze how customer generates satisfaction. If the product's experience exceeded customers' expectations, then their demands are met. Their satisfaction stems from the quality of the product, which determines the brand's financial and sustainable development. Moreover, price and promotion also contribute significantly to satisfaction buildup as well. The SPSS study unearthed a positive correlation between promotion and consumer satisfaction. For Clippers, new stadiums (places) and low ticket selling (prices) can gain customers' favors, and social media is a great tool for advertising these features to potential fandom groups.
Another model this research used is the SWOT analysis, which explained specific qualities of social media in sports promotion. Seeing promotion as one of the parameters for gaining satisfaction, social media can act as an effective tool for the sports industry. In addition, social media with its instantaneity and reliability is a strong boost for any promotion purposes; Clippers, though with a relatively little fan base, can take advantage of it and cultivate its supporter niche. A unique culture and vibe for an NBA basketball team are important for establishing loyalty, therefore catalyzing satisfaction growth. Opportunities are revealed that Clippers can not only use SMC to do marketing errands but is also suitable for public crisis management. Occasionally there will be scandals about players and managers, and quick appeasement is important to maintain reputation and fan's trust. Further, threats and weaknesses required decision-makers attention and they need to be taken care of. For example, SMC operational team demands people with sufficient knowledge of Clippers and its surrounding 'ecology', and of how to manage social media properly to maximize its benefits.
As a result, the strength of SMC makes it a valuable instrument for promotion, which led to higher satisfaction. Social media has transformed brand-consumer interactions in the recent 20 years. Also, brands now create and distribute their influence in an unprecedented way. This direct social influence solidified fandom's loyalty and satisfaction, further boosting team-related content consumption. Besides, higher engagement may in turn push Clipper's brand establishment.