This is a very entertaining and enlightening talk on TED about value creation and perceptions:

http://www.ted.com/talks/rory_sutherland_life_lessons_from_an_ad_man.html

Here’s the TED intro:

Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself. Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider “real” value — and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life.