This has been true for a while though. Consumer behavior is clearly manipulated by advertising, and it's common that an inferior and more expensive product wins as the result of superior marketing.

I don't think it's something we're permanently tethered to though. As reviews are getting better, consumers are realizing more and more that knowing which product is best for them is a very valuable tool. We're seeing stuff like yelp, tripadvisor, healthgrades really take off. The idea of being an "informed" consumer is gaining a lot of traction and that's going to dilute the effectiveness of targeted advertisement.