Summary
BIMI aims to increase brand visibility and trust by displaying brand-controlled logos in email clients, differentiating legitimate emails. It relies on DMARC enforcement to prevent spoofing and may require a VMC for verification. While BIMI can enhance brand recognition, improve email engagement, and protect against phishing, its effectiveness is limited by factors like email client support, technical implementation complexity, and existing brand recognition. It's particularly valuable for smaller businesses, but its ROI can be hard to measure. Limited adoption and audience usage of supporting email systems further diminish its impact. Focus should be on brand awareness after properly deploying DMARC.
Key findings
- Enhanced Brand Visibility: BIMI increases brand visibility and trust in email communications through the use of brand logos.
- Reliance on DMARC: BIMI requires DMARC policy enforcement to prevent malicious actors from spoofing brands.
- Variable Effectiveness: BIMI's effectiveness depends on factors such as email client support and existing brand recognition.
- Value for Smaller Businesses: BIMI is particularly valuable for smaller businesses seeking to establish brand recognition.
- Phishing Protection: BIMI serves as a visual indicator of trust and authenticity, helping to combat phishing attacks.
Key considerations
- Technical Complexity: Implementing DMARC and obtaining a VMC can be challenging and resource-intensive.
- Limited Adoption: Limited adoption of BIMI across email providers reduces its overall effectiveness.
- Target Audience: If a brand's audience primarily uses non-supporting email clients, BIMI's value diminishes.
- Measurement Challenges: Direct ROI from BIMI is difficult to measure, requiring indirect tracking of engagement metrics.
- Existing Brand Strength: BIMI may not significantly impact metrics for brands with already high recognition and engagement.
What email marketers say
14 marketer opinions
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) aims to enhance brand visibility and trust in email communications by displaying brand-controlled logos within supporting email clients. Its value lies in increased brand recognition, improved email engagement, and protection against phishing. However, its effectiveness varies depending on factors such as email client support, existing brand recognition, and implementation complexity. It's particularly beneficial for smaller businesses and brands seeking to improve brand image, but may not significantly impact metrics for already well-recognized brands. Implementing BIMI requires DMARC enforcement and potentially a VMC, which can be technically challenging. Limited adoption across all email providers further diminishes its overall impact.
Key opinions
- Brand Visibility: BIMI enhances brand visibility in the inbox, making it easier for recipients to identify legitimate emails from the brand.
- Trust and Authenticity: BIMI serves as a visual indicator of trust and authenticity, helping to combat phishing and spoofing attempts.
- Limited Support: BIMI's value is limited when email clients or providers don't support it, reducing its visual branding benefits for a significant portion of the audience.
- Small Business Value: BIMI can be especially valuable for smaller businesses seeking to establish brand recognition and stand out from competitors.
- Reduced Spam: BIMI can improve email deliverability and reduce the chances of emails being marked as spam.
Key considerations
- Implementation Complexity: Implementing DMARC and obtaining a VMC can be complex and challenging, requiring technical expertise and resources.
- Target Audience: If a brand's target audience primarily uses email clients that don't support BIMI, the investment might not be worth it.
- Existing Brand Recognition: BIMI might not make a significant difference for brands that already have very high recognition and engagement.
- ROI Measurement: Direct ROI from BIMI can be hard to measure, requiring indirect tracking of metrics like open rates and website traffic.
- Adoption Rates: Limited adoption of BIMI across all email providers and clients reduces its overall effectiveness. Universal adoption would significantly increase its value.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Quora shares that BIMI can improve email deliverability and reduce the chances of emails being marked as spam. By authenticating emails with DMARC and displaying a logo, senders can signal their legitimacy to email providers.
13 Jun 2022 - Quora
Marketer view
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor shares that if a brand's target audience primarily uses email clients that don't support BIMI, the effort might not be worth the investment. Focusing on other deliverability and engagement strategies might be more effective.
20 Aug 2021 - Campaign Monitor
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
BIMI's value lies in brand identification and protection, achieved by implementing DMARC and other authentication best practices. It aids users in distinguishing between legitimate and fraudulent domains, increasing brand recognition and potentially improving email engagement. However, BIMI adoption faces challenges due to its technical requirements (DMARC, VMC) and implementation complexity. Organizations with existing deliverability issues or those not prioritizing brand awareness may not see significant benefits. A key advantage is the ability to showcase the brand logo, a tangible result easily understood by executives.
Key opinions
- Brand Protection: BIMI helps protect brands and consumers by encouraging the adoption of DMARC and other authentication best practices.
- Increased Recognition: BIMI visually reinforces brand identity in the inbox, potentially improving email engagement.
- Technical Complexity: Implementing BIMI involves technical hurdles like DMARC enforcement and obtaining a VMC, which can be challenging for many organizations.
- Tangible Result: Showcasing the brand logo in the inbox is a simple, easily understood benefit for C-suite executives.
Key considerations
- DMARC Implementation: Successful BIMI implementation hinges on properly deploying DMARC, tracing delivery paths, and authenticating mail.
- Brand Awareness Focus: Brands not prioritizing brand awareness may not find BIMI worthwhile.
- Deliverability Foundations: BIMI should be implemented after establishing a solid deliverability foundation; it won't solve underlying deliverability problems.
- Resource Allocation: Organizations need to dedicate resources (time, staff) to manage DMARC reports and address any surfaced issues.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource (Steve Jones) explains that BIMI adoption can be challenging due to the technical requirements, including DMARC enforcement and obtaining a VMC. Many organizations struggle with the complexity of implementation.
2 Jul 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that BIMI is about identifying and protecting your brand and consumers by pushing best practices like DMARC. It helps users distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent domains.
21 Apr 2025 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
BIMI is a standard enabling brand-controlled logos to display in email clients, increasing brand visibility and trust. Senders display logos, enhancing recognition and distinguishing legitimate emails. Enforced DMARC (p=quarantine/reject) is essential to prevent spoofing. Some clients require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to verify brand ownership.
Key findings
- Logo Display: BIMI lets senders show their logo in emails.
- Enhanced Trust: It boosts brand recognition and recipient trust.
- DMARC Enforcement: It needs DMARC policy enforced for security.
- VMC Requirement: Some clients ask for a VMC to prove brand ownership.
Key considerations
- Technical Setup: Proper DMARC configuration is a must-have.
- Certification Cost: Getting a VMC means more cost and effort.
- Client Support: Logo visibility depends on email client support.
- Brand Protection: BIMI enhances but doesn't guarantee complete protection against all threats.
Technical article
Documentation from DigiCert responds that to display a BIMI logo in certain email clients, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is required. This involves a verification process to confirm brand ownership and authenticity.
11 Apr 2025 - DigiCert
Technical article
Documentation from BIMI Group explains that BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) aims to enable the use of brand-controlled logos within supporting email clients. It provides a standardized way for email senders to display their logo alongside their messages, increasing brand visibility and trust.
23 Nov 2024 - BIMI Group
Does BIMI impact email deliverability?
Does BIMI improve email deliverability?
Does BIMI improve email deliverability and engagement?
How can I check if a domain uses Entrust or Digicert for BIMI, and should I avoid Entrust?
How do I implement BIMI and get my logo to show in Gmail and Yahoo Mail?
How do I implement BIMI for email verification in Gmail and Yahoo?
