I think your understanding of how consumers come to the decisions they do is sorely lacking in terms of stripping agency from the people that consume. We're not blank slate robots.
So much of what people purchase is based on what will maintain or elevate their social standing within their social circle. Media reinforces these stereotypes by showing idealized applications of products. This affects people through subliminal messaging. It works. Subliminal messages exert long-term effects on decision-making. You can freely read the paper by the same name.
