A lifelong friend of mine is a devout vinyl record enthusiast, listener, collector and a sometimes-trader of high-quality old-school records. Pieter’s Groovy Records side hustle has become a known brand amongst like-minded aficionados of the emotion-rich qualities of a distinctive vinyl record sound. He and his ilk are not alone.

While listening to a recent Skydeck podcast episode from Harvard Business School (HBS Alumni) over a wintery Highveld breakfast, titled The Vinyl Revival, I started thinking about how tactile media in general retains a high-value physical charm that digital cannot replicate or replace. For a recent, cosy in-person brand activation on behalf of our Stellenbosch-based client, Atterbury Foundation, the printed brochure we created for the event’s goody bag proved to be a winner. Attendees loved the fact that they could simply page through and enjoy a physical manifestation of the foundation’s activities without having to stare at a small smartphone screen.

Of course, digital is ever-present and we work in it all day long, but what I’m highlighting is that, for the right application, tactile media remains unmatched.

There’s something to be said for the role that anticipation plays in tactile media too. Think about receiving a beautifully packaged parcel or opening a sealed envelope containing a high-quality invitation (if that can still happen!). There’s a quiet moment of expectation, even ceremony, that digital simply doesn’t offer. That pause, before turning the page, unfolding the card or unwrapping the layers, adds emotional weight. It makes you feel something. And that feeling is what brands crave when they want to be remembered. (This is why “unboxing” videos are so popular on YouTube.)

I’ve seen this in action with some of our most effective printed campaigns. Whether it’s a cleverly folded direct mail drop, a custom insert in a premium publication, a magnificent custom brand magazine, or a bespoke coffee-table-style brochure or book, the physicality of print slows people down in a good way. They absorb more. They reflect. They engage. The sensory experience creates a connection. It’s not flashy, but it’s effective. Understated, but unforgettable.

Recently I attended a wonderful semi-finals day at Wimbledon, or The Championships 2025 as they like to brand it. Don’t get me started, because it was an astounding experience, but on the topic of tactile media and as a print magazine aficionado and (former) publisher, I was pleasantly surprised by the magnificent, printed Wimbledon keepsake programme.

I asked the lady at the sales kiosk if it was the programme for the tournament and she was quick with the reply. No, she said, it’s the programme for the day. A second look at the stunning 124-page perfect-bound magazine-slash-programme revealed that indeed, the day’s cover date appears and inside, all the relevant match information, with player pictures, info, etc, was also up-to-the-minute correct for that specific day. Wow. This means that the cover and certain inside pages had to be created specially, turned around post-haste, virtually overnight, printed and distributed in time for the opening of the gates at 10:00. A truly remarkable effort and proof of tactile media’s permanency.

In our roles at Twisted Toast Digital, we are proud to be digitally led, technology comes first, but we are equally aware of the power of brand experiences you can feel, touch and love. It’s a lot like IRL relationships, I guess. You can text all you want, share and tag and forward and like and vibe on “platforms” like there’s no tomorrow, but seeing, sitting, hugging, living and so on is literally so much more rewarding and important than the coldness of digital distance.

And yes, the irony is not lost on me that you’re reading this digitally. But that’s the whole point, really. It’s not about choosing one or the other. It’s about knowing when physical beats virtual. A well-printed booklet, a smartly crafted magazine or even a simple, tactile object can leave a longer-lasting brand impression than a slick website ever will. The real magic happens when the two worlds work in tandem, each playing to its strengths.

As brand builders and content creators, we need to remember that people are still people. We experience the world with all our senses, not just our thumbs. So, whether it’s the satisfying texture of uncoated stock, the flip of a printed page or the weight of a brochure in hand, tactile media has a way of anchoring a message. In a world of fleeting scrolls and disappearing stories, that kind of grounding is gold.

So, in final summary, here’s a #shoutout to the wonder of touch and feel, something the impersonal nature of digital simply cannot reach.