Gerardo Alvarado, national sales manager for Logic Group (asi/255850), likes the challenge of sustainability. As more and more customers and end-buyers want greener products and print, distributors and suppliers need to take extra steps to deliver what they want.
He finds that process rewarding.
“I think if you’re in this field, you’re a creative person,” he says. “So when somebody comes to you with a challenge like this, you’re typically excited to try and figure out what the product’s going to be and what the solution’s going to be.”
When taking on an environmentally focused campaign, it’s natural to want to go all in and be as green as possible. But Alvarado, having spent decades in the industry on both the print and promotional side of things, says that simply demonstrating to your customers that your intentions are in the right place and you are making progress for good can often be enough.
“Not all environmental initiatives can be fulfilled, at the very least not on the first try,” he says. “So, what you can do is reduce the environmental impact. One of the ways we can do that, for example in our shop, is that we print and package all in the same place, so we save on trucking. There are ways that you can make meaningful impact without, say, getting rid of all plastic completely. Sometimes that’s just not possible.”
Podcast Chapters
0:37: Introduction to Gerardo and his background in the industry
1:12: His history in print and blending promo
5:00: Case study: serving alcohol brands with environmental campaigns
7:21: Eliminating plastic from campaigns
10:42: Realities and costs of green promos
12:42: Advice for distributors expanding their services
14:21: Tariffs and cross-border considerations from a Canadian point of view
Key Takeaways
• Gerardo Alvarado, national sales manager for Logic Group (asi/255850), began his career in print before expanding into other services like promo and print on demand.
• Logic Group’s move into promotional products was driven by listening to customers and responding to their needs – often starting with simple requests and evolving into more consultative solutions.
• Navigating regional regulations and eco-friendly mandates – especially in regulated industries like alcohol – requires flexibility, vendor networks and a “progress over perfection” mindset.
• If distributors aren’t offering promotional products, Alvarado says that their customers are sourcing them elsewhere.
• Alvarado says that once promo is viewed as branded utility rather than giveaways, it opens the door to unexpected, high-impact product ideas discovered collaboratively with clients.
