Decision Models in the Query LoopModel Answers Go Back into the SQL, and the Controls Check What Changed
The MerRec case study ranks 5,000 brands by betweenness centrality in a graph of shared fans, to find the brands that connect shopping worlds. Twelve of the first twenty entries in that ranking are retailers (Walmart, JCPenney, Macy's), house brands (Mainstays) and catch-all labels that sellers pick from the brand dropdown (As Seen on TV, Customized & Personalized, Eyeshadow). Shoppers from every world like each of them, which makes each one a short cut between worlds that no manufacturer provides. This post follows what it takes to get those entries out of the ranking, and what changes when they are gone.