Fireworks are a common display during New Year celebrations but they’re also a common disaster if they’re not handled right. It’s the same when your tech company is trying to paint the future with your marketing campaign.

It sounds like a sci-fi cliché but this is a tactic often employed by companies in the software industry. Cue lines like “The Future of Customer Service” or “The Payroll of Tomorrow.” Okay, maybe the likes of IBM could do better than pitches ripped off from the 50s but you get the point right? When you’re selling technology meant to improve business processes, coming off as futuristic is pretty much natural.

That doesn’t mean it’s 100% easy. Like fireworks, painting a rose-tinted vision of the future (with your products no less) is subject to plenty backlash.

That’s why, like with any good fireworks display, you got to think about safety. What kind of content should you use? How will you choreograph your campaign? How do you expect your prospects to react? What’s the core of your message?

To answer these questions, the safety of your reputation and brand image takes first priority:

  • Employ new marketing channels – While old forms of B2B marketing can still be effective, it pays to use channels that fit the future you want prospects to imagine. For example, Hubspot declared that a focus on mobile should be a New Year’s resolution for marketers. Obviously, it’s getting harder to ignore the prevalence of mobile technology in the year 2014. Has it been touched by your marketing strategy though? If not, then don’t fall behind!
  • Review last year’s objections – People’s idea of the future tend to form around problems they want solved today. In your case, what were some of the issues in your products that you can improve upon this year? What about bigger issues like the addictive use of any technology? Is there anything in your vision that can address this?
  • Don’t be too unrealistic – It takes a while to realize a vision. Don’t just go out and say that your prospects should expect its realization immediately. Instead, emphasize that you are simply presenting possibilities (possibilities that can be realized with continued support). In fact, you can even open it up as a topic for suggestions.

Some give one look at the year 2014 and already they’re seeing a year they only thought would see in a space-age movie. But just like the fireworks celebration of the New Year, getting all futurist in your marketing campaign needs a heavy pair of safety gloves.