Representing the commodity-form as social relations between producers expressed through the amount of labor spent on the actual production is logical because it allows assessing the usefulness and functionality of this commodity. Thus, the commodity itself is more than just the outcome of labor; it is the embodiment of relations between members of society and, therefore, commodities are often identified with values and meanings, which are referred to as commodity fetishism. All these assumptions are congruent with the current marketing trends in producing various commodities. In particular, the advertisers make focus on the analysis of consumer concerns, demands, and requirements that are not confined to physical needs. Rather, a certain product can have a specific cultural or symbolic meaning going beyond the product functionality. Therefore, Karl Marx represents the product as the one existing beyond its physical description.
While representing the value and meaning of commodities, no reference should be made to its physical nature and material relations. Commodities, therefore, are products of human intelligence that have been put into life and have been integrated into social relations for society to function. These relations, therefore, are closely associated with the concept of commodity fetishism introduced by Marx. In particular, the theorist proposes that exchange stands at the core of trade relations in which products serve as objects of exchange. Thus, commercial activities and production volumes influence the changing values of products, including and services, while selling and buying. Thus, supply and demand are also decisive factors in deciding the extent to which goods and services are engaged in social relations. Due to the influence of social involvement, product meaning is enhanced and is expressed through transactions and commercial activities. More importantly, product exchange constitutes the basis of social relations because it is constantly medicated by means of commodities and money. However, the way the commodities relate to social activities depends largely on the production costs, which are also associated with the amount of human labor, regardless of the fact that humans are the ones who take control of the commodity productions.
Endowing the commodity with meaning and value identifies business activities among people. These relations reflect the degree to which sellers base their financial expectations. Thus, consumer demand is characterized predominantly by the value of the products. The more values are associated with the commodity, the higher the demand is. The price changes will also occur as soon as the product value fluctuates and, therefore, it is hard for the sellers to predict that the commodities will be affected by these relations. In order to define the meaning of the commodity, it is necessary to identify the psychological dimension within which consumers operate while making choices. Thus, psychological factor plays a pivotal role in transforming the commodity into an object into an independent entity involved in social value. The point is that the intrinsic value of products is closely associated with natural property as well. However, the market can undergo self-regulation by controlling supply and demand because consumers no longer perceive the commodity as the outcome of labor relations.
As has been mentioned previously, the significance of commodity is not confined to its physical nature. Rather, it derives from human intellectual capacity to subjectively ascribe a specific value or meaning to a product. As a result, during commercial activities, humans ascribe subjective meanings and symbols to the goods and services that sellers and buyers embrace as the objectified ones. The objectified perception, therefore, is crucial for identifying the market price of the commodity—the idealistic dimension of the commodities that have been launched to the market influence human choices. The market, as an independent entity, also has an impact on commodity objectification. Closer relations established between commodities and markets are revealed through trade relations that stand apart from the production process.
The veritable meaning and value of the commodities are reflected through money and price relations. However, this value itself is produced by the labor power of a separate worker, or the set of labor powers, which defines the product as the sum of human capacities to introduce a specific product. In other words, value masks the role-playing mechanisms in accordance with which product, either good or service, is nothing more than the outcome of human intelligence.
In conclusion, the commodity should not be regarded as a materialistic and natural embodiment. Rather, the goods and services are the result of human labor, as well as social relations between workers. Even when launched to the market, the commodity becomes the object of relations between buyers and sellers that ascribe certain meanings, which is identified by Marx as commodity fetishism. It is the commodity value that identifies the actual price for the product, but not the material it is made from. The production value also influences the fluctuation of demand and supply, as well as defines and predicts future functions in society. Finally, the product is always objectified, although it is ascribed with the subjective meaning of the producers.