Apple turns 50

Image: Created with AI – Artlist.io under license

This year, Apple turns 50. Founded in 1976, the company reaches half a century and has chosen to celebrate it by reminding us how its products have impacted the evolution of consumer technology.

The exact date is April 1, 1976, and Apple emphasizes that its products have been key, marking different stages of the tech industry- Apple, Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch,…  and, of course, the Apple ecosystem- Store, Music, iCloud, TV, Pay,…

Perhaps where it stands out the least is in recent years, especially in the intense AI race. Since the unfortunate passing of Steve Jobs, we cannot say the company is fading, but it has lost a large part of its “wow” effect.

Tim Cook, wanted to thank his team, partners, and customers for these 50 years with a public letter:

Looking ahead, Tim Cook and his team clearly want to maintain that aura of a “cool” company. Beyond the different events and surprises planned for the 50th anniversary, they kicked things off with a major celebration at Grand Central Station in New York, featuring Alicia Keys. Everything was filmed with the iPhone 17 Pro, and they are aiming to make the brand more open and social.

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For this reason, they are going to expand their presence on social media (which has never been their strong point):

-Launching a new Instagram account — @helloapple (in just 4 days they already have 121K followers)

-Strengthening their presence on TikTok

Apple now wants to become a more “friendly/close” brand, shifting from its “pedestal brand” positioning — desired and admired, and therefore not needing to constantly interact with consumers.

They have lost some “punch” in their products, competitors are evolving and doing it very well, and their pricing strategy has gradually limited accessibility for a broader consumer base — which explains the zigzag moves, launching more “basic” products in categories like smartphones or recently with the Mac Neo.

In other words, they are realizing that if the product is not “WOW”, then yes… there is still a large loyal community that will queue in stores no matter what is launched, but… it doesn’t have the same traction as it did years ago. Now it’s time to change the brand’s relationship with consumers in order to, as they say, “keep thinking different”.

Congratulations, Apple! Here’s to 50 more years of making our days easier and more creative.