Has the medium (roast) become the message?

Purpose This paper examines the ethics of marketing both fair trade products and the movement's message of change, as fair trade shifts from a distribution system that relied on alternative distribution channels to one that is increasingly reliant on the commercial mainstream. The marketing of fair trade through mainstream commercial distribution channels has been the major success and the major challenge for the fair trade movement over the past decade. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual approach and discussion are taken. Findings First, we introduce the term “Clean‐wash” to describe a range of ways in which marketing fair trade through mainstream distribution channels creates opportunities for commercial businesses to appropriate and regulate the terrain. Second, the paper illustrates how mainstream marketing of fair trade has shifted the message of fair trade from participation in an international programme of trade reform to one about “shopping for a better world”. Finally, the paper explores a number of innovations the movement is using that protects the integrity of the principles of fair trade and sells both products and the message of change. Research limitations/implications Innovations discussed in the paper termed “the Alternative High Street”, see the merging of consumption with social action, and counter‐pose them with the mainstream idea of ethical consumerism. The concept of an Alternative High Street describes the fair trade movement's attempts to address the challenges and dangers of mainstreaming, and presents a way of thinking about the co‐creation of value between producers, retailers and consumers. Originality/value This paper will be of interest to marketing professionals and “values‐driven organisations”, providing a case study of how a seemingly highly successful brand marketing strategy may actually undermine the original ethical interest of a venture.