Both sentiments seem true. Absolutely, there is plenty of high-value stuff out there that people are unaware of. And marketing is how you'd bring awareness. Bu

Both sentiments seem true. Absolutely, there is plenty of high-value stuff out there that people are unaware of. And marketing is how you'd bring awareness. But real value is irrelevant to a capitalist market; perceived value is all that matters. When customers have a diminished ability to assess value (i.e. consumers who cannot reasonably thoroughly evaluate every purchase decision), optimal marketing becomes a game of illusion and misperception. And modern marketing has evolved to the point where it's incredibly effective at hijacking known human biases and weaknesses to create perceived value where no practical value exists. In this way, the net-effect of many marketing campaigns is increased profits for companies, with no net value created for the community. The clothing industry is a prime example: Marketing pushes that their products are cheap and stylish, with the underlying implication that consumers will be happier and save $. In reality, though, they'll spend a lot more in the long run, and reinforce social insecurities.