23 research outputs found
Dynamics of tournaments: the soccer case
A random walk-like model is considered to discuss statistical aspects of
tournaments. The model is applied to soccer leagues with emphasis on the
scores. This competitive system was computationally simulated and the results
are compared with empirical data from the English, the German and the Spanish
leagues and showed a good agreement with them. The present approach enabled us
to characterize a diffusion where the scores are not normally distributed,
having a short and asymmetric tail extending towards more positive values. We
argue that this non-Gaussian behavior is related with the difference between
the teams and with the asymmetry of the scores system. In addition, we compared
two tournament systems: the all-play-all and the elimination tournaments.Comment: To appear in EPJ
Towards evidence-based marketing: The case of childhood obesity
Contentious commodities such as tobacco, alcohol and fatty foods are bringing marketing under scrutiny from consumers and policymakers. Yet there is little agreement on whether marketing is harmful to society. Systematic review (SR), a methodology derived from clinical medicine, offers marketers a tool for providing resolution and allowing policymakers to proceed with greater confidence. This article describes how SR methods were applied for the first time to a marketing problem -- the effects of food promotion to children. The review withstood scrutiny and its findings were formally ratified by government bodies and policymakers, demonstrating that SR methods can transfer from clinical research to marketing