You don’t really see advertisements for things like mega yachts or helicopters. Or private jets.

Most things that you’ll have to talk to a dealer or rep for, you don’t actually see ads. Except maybe cars.

I never said that I shouldn't hear about it, only it shouldn't have advertising. So recommendations by friends are helpful, so is personal experience in a store or review by trusted source. And for example, all of FOSS software doesn't have ads for them and often is better than paid counterparts.

Easy, look at a couple of comparison websites whenever you need a specific product, and compare them to each other.

You'll get a somewhat unbiased idea of what the best product is to your specifications, and they are full of brands you never heard of.