A large part of it is because that's what they feel their products are worth / that is what the market will bear, but yes, marketing is indeed a huge cost compo

A large part of it is because that's what they feel their products are worth / that is what the market will bear, but yes, marketing is indeed a huge cost component of any product that does marketing. The higher-level the marketing, the more expensive a component. Put into perspective, Have you ever been to a grocery store and seen store-brand cereal at a fraction of the cost? They're often (but not always) just as good as their name-brand counterparts, but the cost discrepancy, more than anything, is the marketing budget.