There are many great products that are still underground, meaning they have not become main stream yet. They are of high quality and really deliver results.
Many popular products are just normal products with overhyped science mixed with marketing ads and strong endorsements. Just because they advertise in magazines, web or sponsor events/shows does not mean they own great quality products, nor does it mean they suck. It simply mean they have the money and sponsorship to do so. When money like that is involved, their bottom line is higher return on investment. Some companies would sacrifice quality or purity but not marketing budget. I have seen products that spend more money on their fancy label than the product itself (think about it for a moment). Some companies are not willing to sacrifice Marketing budget, but they reduce some of the expensive ingredients with the cheaper ones. How they do that? Will, using propriety blends to protect what goes on behind the scene. One batch can have more of one ingredient than the next batch but the total would look the same. There are many tricks they do as well. Which is why in many times once a company gets very popular, people notice the product does not become as effective as it used to be when it first came out, or the taste changes, or how it mixes changes ..etc
The best way to judge is to stay away from being educated from the media, explore on your own and figure out what works for you. If you like a product that everyone else bashes, it does not mean you should stop it, if it is working for you then it might be the right thing for you but not them.
Good Luck.