Do you think people buy products or the ideas of the product? In essence, are products ideas?

Do you think people buy products or the ideas of the product? In essence, are products ideas?

 This may sound like a strange question, but according to some sources, consumers often buy or don't buy products because of the idea of the product and not the product itself. In the clip from the Frontline episode "The Persuaders," researchers are seeking to understand how people feel about various products, to "get inside their heads," and determine the deeper meanings products convey to consumers.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders

Is Rapaille correct? Do people buy products because of some unconscious trigger? Are consumers irrational?