This isn't a complete picture. If you are in the need for a product, you will be more comfortable with a product if it feels familiar. This is true whether that

This isn't a complete picture. If you are in the need for a product, you will be more comfortable with a product if it feels familiar. This is true whether that familiarity comes from having used it before, because you've seen others use it before, _or_ if you've simply seen the name a lot before. Brand recognition has impact. You might still go read reviews of the product first, but they still need you to seek it out to do that. That's where advertising comes in.