Now What, Apple?

There never seems to be enough original ideas anymore.  Apple was famously original when a fancy new device called the iPhone came out.  But where are all the original ideas going?  After the iPhone, there came Android and now Microsoft's new phones and tablets.  Since the passing of Steve Jobs, even Apple has been getting a little stale.  Their iconic advertising that once was so powerful and interesting is becoming more of the same.

Apple has long promised through its advertising, either implicitly or explicitly, to fulfill consumers' inner needs to stand out, think differently and be more creative.  Now an overwhelming number of college students and other Gen-Y people are using Macs and other Apple products.  It's like Apple is the new Pokemon trading card.  Apple's campaigns got everyone to think differently, but this is causing a problem: how can everyone stand out, think differently and be more creative if we are all heading towards the same thing?

Apple has been working for this advertising objective for quite a while (remember 1984).  Now that they have arrived, where will the world's newly proclaimed largest company go from there?  Apple has been tremendously successful, and I honestly see them continuing to be the same, but in order to do so, they've got to be ready to never stop the flow of originality and creativity, especially in how they position their brand.