That's capitalism. You can become a millionaire by getting together enough investment money to front a late night informercial about a bogus product. *cough* *KevinTrudeau* *cough*
True it's marketing, but in the end the better products will come out on top. However, cheaper production and more aggressive marketing will make money for the other guys. Everyone knew that Volvos and BMWs and Benzes were quality cars but they were expensive. Other companies got by on catering to the not so wealthy. Nowadays every car company has its own version of the high end model.