Everyone in marketing knows this simple fact: marketing is what you do when your product is no good.
Now, there is a lot of leeway in what 'no good' could ultimately mean.
Some products simply sell themselves. They create their own audience.
Ultimately, if something is uniquely special, innovative, creative... it will find an audience regardless of marketing. If a product fails without marketing, and fails with it.... well, YOU may like it, but this is indicative of the fact that this product is not design to fit the taste of the current market at large. Which granted, is a very fluid thing, but.... some people just need to accept that hey, I love this... most people do not. It's as much inherent in the core content offer as it is in the individual brand managers whose job is to 'create a unified brand message and identity for consumers.' Yadda yadda. (some people have strange expectations/definitions for what marketing is).