Future of Brands: new, now and the compression of the present

It’s passé to speak of the present or, for that matter, to speak in the present tense. To the extent one can avoid it, one should. The only thing worse than being stuck in the past is being stuck in the present. In the past, at least, you can pose as retro. What’s preferred is the future tense, now known (among those few who care about such things), as the predictive tense. To live in the present is to be a bee trapped in amber. To live for the present is to be in a state of perpetual catch-up. What is the present, anyway, but the imminently pre-past? The cool people aren’t those in the know about what’s happening now but those with special insight into what’s on the way. As soon as something has made its debut, it’s already on its way out. Increasingly, we view ourselves not as creatures of habit but as beings in transit. Helpful hint for time travelers: One easy way to sidestep the challenge of dispensing with the present is to talk about things in terms of yesterday and tomorrow. Instead of “I like bacon and eggs” try: “This morning I liked bacon and eggs.” Or: “Tomorrow I might not like bacon and eggs as much as I used to.” Give the present a rest.