Reaching back a little to our conference this summer, I recall one cool moment. (There were more, I suppose, but there’s only one I’m thinking of right now.) One of our speakers was Kevin Mitnick, renowned/infamous security expert/hacker. I got a look at his business card, which Josh Weinberger received for attending his session. The dude’s business card is a set of lock picks, and they actually work (proof here). Josh and I thought, what a perfect business card — it’s memorable, extremely cool, and conveys the image of what this guy does for a living in a way that no words can match.

I didn’t think much beyond that at the time, but the idea has really grown on me. I find myself wondering, “What is the symbol of CRM?” Is there a single image, item, or icon that encapsulates the concept of the 360-degree persistent view of the customer, the dialog and (increasingly) brand co-creation between provider and purchaser? It’s one helluva question to answer, and I’d love some input.

Because I only recently came up with this little chestnut, my thoughts are biased by the current financial crisis (read: worldwide economic implosion). The only image I have in mind is a life preserver ring. Money’s getting tight, businesses and individuals are getting nervous, and nobody’s sure where or how things will end up. It’s crucial for businesses to retain the customers they already have in order to stay afloat, hence the image.

I realize that this doesn’t really capture the essence of CRM, just one of its uses in ugly times. I want to come up with something better. If CRM were to have its own version of the Bat-Signal, what would it be?