I can't find any examples beyond the frequently mentioned betamax vs vhs (which I know nothing about or if it is fact) but aren't there many examples of an inferior product winning out down to marketing? I mean, fuck, cigarettes are a good example of marketing at it's worst.

Due to the variety of products we all consume there is no way to be an expert and actually choose optimally all the time. Now I get your answer is review sites or similar but they can't necessarily be trusted so I don't see a huge downside to having a group who you know are acting in your best interests, ie the government (in theory), regulating things to ensure minimum standards, certainly with things like cars or gas fired boilers.