---
title: Returning to print media in an AI and digital world
description: What are the reasons behind the return to print media, how can it benefit your business & how should you go about it. Thoughts & tips here.
image: https://www.itagmedia.com.au/hubfs/print-media-header-2.jpg
---

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# Returning to print media in an AI and digital world

![printer with pink background and water](https://www.itagmedia.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/print-media-header-2.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=print-media-header-2.jpg)

 Posted July 30, 2026  |  Written by [David Ligtenberg](https://www.itagmedia.com.au/blog/author/david-ligtenberg)

Since the dawn of time, the world has existed in analog: letters, cash, family photos, restaurant menus, and the phonebook. It's only in the last couple of decades that our world has tipped so heavily toward screens, and in the last couple of years that AI has sped up that shift. So it's no surprise that print media is making a return, not as a nostalgia trip, but as a point of difference for brands who want to feel real in a world that increasingly doesn't.

We work with a lot of local businesses, and between them and the online discourse, there’s a general idea that people (and customers) are tired. Tired of scrolling, tired of AI-generated this-and-that, and tired of interacting with brands that feel like they were built by a machine, because in a lot of cases, they were.

There's a growing appetite for things that feel human again, and print media is one of the simplest ways to deliver that.

## Print media is still important for marketing

![Man showing brochure](https://www.itagmedia.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Images/brochure-man.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=brochure-man.jpg)

It's easy to assume print is dead because so much of business happens online now. But print media never actually went away; it just stopped being used as much. What's changed is how print items can now impact leads or customers.

When almost everything a customer receives from a business is digital, a physical piece of mail, a printed booklet, or a handwritten card stands out. It gets noticed, simply because it’s uncommon.

There's also a trust element at play. People tend to trust physical items more than digital ones. A printed brochure feels genuine, whereas a PDF feels disposable. An email can be sent to a thousand people in a click, but a printed welcome pack that arrives in the mail takes time and money to put together. That effort is felt, even if it's never said out loud.

Gary Vaynerchuk, author and business leader, has talked a fair bit recently about how people are craving physical, real-life experiences over purely digital interactions.

> “We’re going to an extreme digital… Because of that, I’m seeing analog explode. Gen Alpha, the under-15-year-olds, are the first crew that are like ‘Nah’. …People are starting to struggle with how much digital there is.
> 
> I think some of the biggest opportunities in business \[are\] analog. This was the holiday season that the most kids under 15 asked for flip phones, not smartphones. Literally 12-year-olds, you’re starting to see that crew ask for stuff – film cameras, polaroids, vinyl records. People are starting to really check out. I think you’re going to start seeing a digital detox.”
> 
> Gary Vee

Combining this with print media is a marketing strategy worth considering. For example, a product demo day where customers get to touch and test what they're buying. Or a "come visit the farm" style open day for a producer or grower. These experiences work best when they're backed up by something tangible that the customer takes home, whether that's a printed guide, a card, or a thank-you note. *The experience creates the memory and the print media makes it last beyond the moment*.

### Keeping it tied to your brand

Everything works better when it’s all connected in marketing. Any print media you produce, whether it's a flyer, a booklet or a packaging insert, needs to look and feel like it belongs to the same brand as your website and your socials. Same fonts, same colours, same tone of voice. This is where working with a great [graphic design Bundaberg](https://www.itagmedia.com.au/services/graphic-design) team makes a real difference, because consistency across every touchpoint is what actually builds recognition and trust over time. A mismatched, DIY flyer knocked together in an hour does the opposite of what you want it to do.

On that note, it's worth flagging that not all print is created equal, and neither is all design. AI-generated flyers and AI branding might seem like a fast, cheap option, but they can actually do more harm than good to how your business is perceived.

- **Unrealistic expectations:** AI-generated images will often have incorrect visuals in them – Think about an AI-generated image of a burger, with amazing fillings, but fillings you don’t actually offer.
- **Scam or Spam:** Because anyone can create AI-generated designs, they’re generally viewed by customers as spam or scam.
- **Uneasy results:** AI-generated graphics and artwork generally feel a bit weird, out of place, or like something is a bit off.

You want to protect your brand from that.

## Practical ways to bring print back into your business

![thank you card hand written in packaging](https://www.itagmedia.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Images/add-paper-thankyou.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=add-paper-thankyou.jpg)

You don't need to overhaul everything overnight. A few small, well-thought-out changes can make a big impact:

- Send a welcome pack, not just a PDF: When a new client or customer signs on with you, it's tempting to just fire off a PDF and call it done. Instead, consider posting or handing over a physical welcome pack. It could include a printed overview of the project/service process, a small branded item, maybe a handwritten note. It costs a little more time and money, but it sets the tone from day one that your business does things well.
- Personalise the milestones: A birthday card, a note on the anniversary of a service or product (think the day a client moved into a home you helped design, or the day they signed up for your product) - these small touches go a long way. They're unexpected, they're personal, and they're the kind of thing people actually keep on the fridge or the desk, rather than archiving in an inbox they'll never revisit.
- Provide physical booklets and manuals: If your product or service comes with instructions, guides or reference material, don't rely purely on a digital download. A well-designed printed booklet feels more trustworthy and is far more likely to get read and kept nearby when it's needed. Add a QR code so they can scan for the digital version, and you’ve got the best of both!

At the end of the day, digital and AI tools continue to grow as they're integrated more into our lives. They're brilliant for reach, speed and efficiency, but print media offers something digital can't quite replicate – a sense of effort, permanence and trust.

If you're a Bundaberg business looking to bring more of that human touch back into your branding, our [graphic design Bundaberg](https://www.itagmedia.com.au/services/graphic-design) team would love to help you work out what that could look like, from welcome packs through to full print collateral that actually matches the rest of your brand.

![David Ligtenberg](https://www.itagmedia.com.au/hubfs/Blog%20Authors/author-david.png) Post written by   
**David Ligtenberg**

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