Marketing Techniques

What's the best way to sell a product? How do you separate yourself from the rest of the field? I have always been curious what marketing teams focus on and the different approaches they take to market their product or service so that it appears to be the best option out there to the consumers. You can have the greatest new product or service in the world, but if no one knows about it, who cares? When cash is tight, marketing budgets suffer. A lot of different factors come into play and after doing some research online, I came up with a couple ideas.  Spicing up your message and making the consumer laugh is a good marketing technique.  It is showing that you are not afraid to try something different and take chances.  Personally, if a marketing ad or commercial makes me laugh then it is more likely I remember it which leads to buying the product.  Whether you sell real estate or fix teeth, you know a whole lot more about your business than your customers do. Attract attention by sharing that expertise.  People buy things because it makes them feel better about themselves when their using that product and it is the marketing teams in businesses that are responsible with getting that message out to its customers.  Using social media to your advantage is also a great way to get your name/brand or product out there.  Working the press is important because mentions in the news media offer what traditional marketing and advertising can't, which is exposure with implied credibility.

Which option that I just brought up do you think marketing teams focus the most attention on, and why?