I'm really not a dw fanboy, but I do appreciate what they do....and they make a very nice product. But let's not fool ourselves and negatively spin ourselves up into thinking it is marketing that is what they are all about....it's the old chicken and egg thing here.
They do get extremely valuable marketing with some extremely big names....but I think the marketing is the *result* of being able to provide a vast array of repeatable options and also to meet the whims and suit the fancy in terms of construction and finish of those that can have any drum they want. Hand held customer service with the manufacturing, purchasing power and infrastructure to deliver whatever is wanted, when it is wanted by a battery of able craftsman.....I think that is ultimately the model that gained them their uber popularity. Let's face it those lugs are hideous
I think it would be short sighted and unfair to think that the evil dw marketing empire is what got them where they are....they do innovate, make an excellent product and the drums just sound great.
There are lots of very fine drums, guru inclusive, but dw gets drummers that can have anything they want because of that ability and infrastructure to make anything imaginable become a reality.....then they get the massive attention by being the provider to someone like, well, ahem, Peart.