The Voice Behind Fair Trade

When I think of Kelly Clarkson I think of American Idol and pop music. When I think of Green Mountain Coffee I think of my Keurig machine. Both things make me happy and perk me up in the morning, but that’s as close of a connection I ever made between the pop star and Fair Trade-Certified beverage brand, so I was intrigued when I saw that Ms. Clarkson was chosen to be a spokesperson for Green Mountain. According to Lindsey Bolger, Green Mountain's vice president of coffee sourcing and excellence, in an article from The Examiner the company chose Clarkson because, “She really connects with people on a really genuine and authentic level." I’ve seen Clarkson in concert; she comes off as being extremely down to earth, the kind of celebrity you could geek out about if you ran into her on the street and she’d offer to take a selfie with you. But do those things make her a good fit for the brand? Fair Trade is all about getting farmers and workers fair labor conditions and fair compensation for the work they perform and the products they produce. Not only does Fair Trade prevent large corporations from taking advantage of the proverbial little guy, but it helps the little guy get stronger and smarter so he can take care of himself. Clarkson is a salt of the earth kind of gal who knows what fights for what she believes in; she fought hard for her album My December, which she co-penned, despite record exec Clive Davis’ attempts to sabotage the project. In addition to fighting for her own work, Clarkson is actively involved in several other charities. The Charity section of her website lists March for Babies, Houses of Hope, Save the Children, March of Dimes Youth and Live Earth as current associations. Clarkson performed earlier this month at The Highline Ballroom at an event for Green Mountain’s Campaign, “Great Coffee. Good Vibes. Choose Fair Trade.” Towards the end of her set the singer spoke about her work for the cause, “It’s nice to do something that betters the quality of someone’s life,” she said. Clarkson simply wants to help out a good cause. When you put it that way, maybe pop music and fair trade coffee have more in common that we realized. What do you think makes a good spokesperson for Fair Trade?