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Summary

Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) allows your brand's logo to appear next to your sender name in email inboxes, enhancing brand recognition and trust. Implementing BIMI involves several steps, including robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC), obtaining a specific SVG logo, and, for some mailbox providers like Gmail, acquiring a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). While the VMC adds to the cost and complexity, many see the benefits of increased brand visibility as worthwhile.

What email marketers say

Email marketers often weigh the perceived benefits of BIMI, particularly for Gmail, against the associated costs and complexities, especially the Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). While acknowledging BIMI's role in brand recognition and trust, many explore alternative methods for logo display, particularly for Gmail, due to the high barrier to entry (cost, trademarking, VMC requirements). The consensus points towards BIMI being a significant future standard, with more immediate and cost-effective benefits for non-VMC required providers like Yahoo Mail.

Marketer view

Email Marketer from Email Geeks indicates that BIMI, especially for smaller businesses, often feels like an expensive requirement, particularly due to the Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) needed for Gmail. The initial cost, estimated around $2,000, plus an annual recurring fee of $1,500, seems excessive. This high price point and the limited number of companies that can issue the cert create a sense of a captive market.

17 Feb 2022 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that the annual price for a VMC from Entrust is actually around $999, which is less than some other providers like Digicert. Even with this lower price, the overall cost still includes additional fees associated with trademarking the logo, making it a significant investment for a brand.

17 Feb 2022 - Email Geeks

What the experts say

Experts emphasize the strategic importance of BIMI for brand recognition and trust, while also providing practical advice on its implementation. They highlight that while Gmail has non-VMC alternatives for logo display, BIMI with a VMC offers the highest level of verification and security. For other providers, like Yahoo, BIMI implementation is often simpler and still provides significant benefits without the VMC requirement. Experts also clarify technical nuances, such as the role of the BIMI Working Group versus mailbox providers in VMC acceptance.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks observes that the VMC price at Entrust is around $999 per year, indicating a specific price point for one of the primary Mark Verifying Authorities. This figure helps clarify the recurring cost of maintaining BIMI for those mailbox providers that require a VMC, offering a more precise financial expectation for businesses.

17 Feb 2022 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that while there have been alternative attempts to achieve email logo display, BIMI is considered the definitive future standard. This perspective underscores BIMI's long-term viability and the expectation that it will become the prevailing method for brand visibility in email, making current adoption a forward-thinking strategy.

17 Feb 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

Official documentation and technical guides provide precise instructions and requirements for BIMI implementation. They emphasize the critical role of strong email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) as foundational elements. The documentation also details the specific format for brand logos (SVG) and the necessity of a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for certain email clients like Gmail. It clarifies the roles of various entities, such as Certification Authorities (CAs) and mailbox providers, in the BIMI ecosystem.

Technical article

BIMI Group states that each participating mailbox provider has the autonomy to determine where BIMI logos are displayed within their applications. This means that while BIMI provides the standard, the actual rendering and visibility of your logo can vary across different email clients. Providers also reserve the right not to display a logo if it doesn't meet their internal criteria or if sender reputation is poor.

10 Dec 2019 - BIMI Group

Technical article

Certera.com outlines a step-by-step process for implementing Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI). This process typically involves ensuring proper email authentication (DMARC, SPF, DKIM), preparing a compliant SVG logo, obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) if required by the mail client, and publishing a BIMI TXT record in DNS. Adhering to these steps is crucial for successful logo display.

15 Dec 2024 - Knowledge Base - Certera.com

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