• Standards enable scale but challenge innovation.
  
• Commodities are possibly the most scaled standards.
  
• Creativity and flexibility within a commodity are difficult, often near impossible.
  
• Social success often relies on creativity and flexibility.

Can there be a successful social commodity? 

4 Types of Social Commodities Available Today

1. Personalities - Federated Media will bring some of the world's best, brightest and most popular personalities to the right brands in the right environments.  Federated has found a commodity in the influencer.  Creativity comes from the partnership between the influencer and the supporting brand.  In this case, the commodity is fairly customized with the only common standard being the pool of influencers Federated works with.
• This isn't really much a commodity.
2. Leads - More than a few PR firms have pitched either my team or my clients with lists of influencers with whom they have "close, ongoing relationships".  With rare exception, I don't believe this is a viable, real or honest, nor is a database a guarantee of coverage.
• This may be a commodity, but its value is debatable.
3. Media & Experiences - one can purchase media, or a brand experience in most social environments.  Creativity here lies in how you message/design as well as how you use the tools and technologies available.  While there is stronger creative flexibility, most people are in social environments for social reasons, and are not interested in your media, and have limited interest in your brand experience unless it is very close to who they are and how they socialize.
• While these may be somewhat commoditized, success comes from positioning and creativity.  This hardly scratches the surface of the world of possibilities, but it's a commodity!
4. Paid Promotions - IZEA is trying to build a platform for Paid Promotions, bringing lots of discussion and controversy to the industry.  But can paid promotions present a viable commodity?  I'm really not sure.

Every social site and network is facing this challenge.  Monetization will not just be about banners, nor will it be about one-off integrations with brands.  Standards are needed to drive economies scale.  But how can one find social value and unique creativity in a standard commodity-based offering?