Seth Godin bemoans how cheap the ads are during non-prime-time spots. That is, they’re produced cheaply. They stink. On the other hand, an advertiser will pour millions of dollars into a Superbowl ad that runs only once. Because they don’t want to spend a lot of money producing an ad for a spot worth only a couple hundred bucks. But here’s why this logic is severely flawed, even if the ad runs only once in a cheap spot.

Here’s the story of Marillion, an independent UK band. Most bands record demos, scrounge for gigs, and pray daily to be discovered by an A&R rep. The competition is fierce. And frequently, those chosen are the ones with the least talent. And most bands never make it, or break up and die long before they even have a chance.