BIMI Made Simple: Boosting Trust and Visibility in Email Marketing

Email verification checkmark for BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification)

Let’s face it—email marketing is a crowded game. Standing out in the inbox is tough. And building trust? Sometimes it feels even tougher. Enter BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification, the tool that can make your emails stand out in inboxes like Gmail and Yahoo. Imagine your brand’s logo sitting right next to your emails: trustworthy, professional, and impossible to miss. Sounds great, right? Let’s break it down.

What is BIMI?

BIMI allows your brand’s logo to appear next to authenticated emails in inboxes like Gmail and Yahoo. Imagine your logo sitting proudly alongside your email, instantly reinforcing your brand’s identity and credibility. But getting there requires a few steps. To set up BIMI, your brand must meet these four prerequisites:

  1. DMARC Compliance: A “reject” or “quarantine” policy must be in place
  2. A Properly Formatted SVG Logo: This logo must be publicly hosted and meet BIMI’s technical requirements
  3. A BIMI DNS Record: This points to your logo’s location
  4. A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC): Depending on the email provider, these certificates are often necessary to enable BIMI

BIMI example without and with brand logos.

VMC vs. CMC: Which is Right for You?

  • VMC: The gold standard. Works with Apple Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo—and adds a verified checkmark for that extra credibility. Costs $1,299–$1,499 annually and requires a trademarked logo.
  • CMC: The newer, more affordable option ($1,188/year). No trademark required, but it’s limited to Gmail and Yahoo without the checkmark.

Which should you choose?

  • Want max visibility (Apple Mail!) and that shiny checkmark? Go with VMC.
  • Small business or no trademark? CMC is your best bet.

Who Supports BIMI?

While BIMI is gaining traction, not all email providers have adopted it yet. Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Supports BIMI: Gmail, Yahoo, Apple Mail, Fastmail, Zoho Mail, and others
  • Considering BIMI Support: Providers like Comcast, Seznam.cz, and Yahoo Japan
  • Does Not Support BIMI: Microsoft

BIMI Alternatives

Not ready to dive in? No problem.

  • The YouTube Hack: For Gmail users, make your logo the avatar for a YouTube account linked to your email. It’s free but limited to Gmail and might not last forever.
  • Apple Business Connect: Want your logo in Apple Mail, Maps, and Siri? Authenticate your domain and verify your business through Apple. This is a key part of optimizing your email for Apple’s ecosystem, as we discuss in our email strategy guide to iOS 18.

Why bother with BIMI?

Because trust matters. Your subscribers are bombarded with emails daily. A logo next to your message doesn’t just look good, it builds credibility, helps prevent phishing, and makes your emails stand out.

So, whether you go all-in with a VMC, opt for the budget-friendly CMC, or try an alternative, BIMI is your chance to level up your email game. The inbox is evolving—be the brand that evolves with it.

Have questions or comments?

Visit our Contact Us page for all the details on how to get in touch with us. Whether you have a question, feedback, or just want to say hello, we’d love to hear from you!