Is Microsoft's Business Profile Experience still available?

Key findings

• Program status: The Microsoft "Business Profile Experience", linked to Bing Pages, ceased active operation around early 2022. Initial information from 2018 suggested it was part of a beta related to brand logos.
• Lack of support: Attempts to contact the dedicated Bing Pages email address have gone unanswered, indicating a lack of ongoing support for the service.
• Legacy functionality: Some users report that their previously configured business profiles continue to display logos, suggesting legacy functionality for existing setups, but new implementations are not possible.
• Alternative solutions: For displaying brand logos in email, BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) has emerged as the industry standard, and Microsoft Outlook has begun supporting it.

Key considerations

• Focus on BIMI: Email senders looking to display their logos in Microsoft inboxes should now concentrate their efforts on implementing BIMI, which is officially supported.
• Avoid outdated methods: Do not attempt to set up new Microsoft Business Profiles via Bing Pages, as this method is no longer effective.
• Check current client status: If a client previously had a logo displayed via this method, verify if it is still active but advise against reliance on it for future campaigns.

Key opinions

• Logo challenges: Many marketers express frustration over the difficulty of consistently displaying logos within Microsoft's email ecosystem compared to other providers.
• Bing pages discontinuation: It's widely believed among marketers that the Bing Pages method for displaying logos, which was part of the Business Profile Experience, stopped working effectively in early 2022.
• Observed absence: Marketers frequently check their own Office 365 and Outlook accounts and note that major brands often do not have their logos appearing, corroborating the discontinuation of the feature.
• BIMI as the future: The marketing community is increasingly shifting its focus towards BIMI as the primary standard for brand logo display, even for Microsoft environments.

Key considerations

• User experience focus: Ensure that your email design and branding are strong enough to convey your identity, even without a displayed logo in all clients.
• Brand consistency: While Microsoft's past efforts proved challenging, maintaining a consistent brand presence across all email platforms remains crucial for email engagement.
• Adapt to new standards: Marketers should allocate resources to adopting new standards like BIMI rather than trying to revive old, unsupported methods for logo display.
• Monitor changes: Stay informed about Microsoft's evolving email authentication and display policies to adapt strategies proactively, such as Microsoft 365 Profile Cards.

Key opinions

• Discontinuation confirmed: Experts confirm that the Bing Pages aspect of Microsoft's logo display mechanism stopped working in early 2022.
• No response from Microsoft: Attempts to communicate with Microsoft's dedicated Bing Pages email contact have been met with no reply, further suggesting the project's abandonment.
• Limited legacy functionality: Some previously configured client setups continue to show logos, but this is an exception, not an indication of ongoing support for new configurations.
• Focus on BIMI: The industry's direction, including Microsoft's current support for BIMI, points to it as the modern solution for brand logos in email.

Key considerations

• Authentication importance: Regardless of logo display, strong email authentication such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC remains critical for deliverability to Microsoft accounts.
• Stay current: Experts advise against relying on older, unmaintained methods for email functionality and to always seek the most current and supported solutions.
• Troubleshooting issues: If clients experience issues with logos not appearing, direct them towards troubleshooting email deliverability to Microsoft domains and BIMI implementation.

Key findings

• Lack of current documentation: No recent or current official Microsoft documentation details a program specifically called "Business Profile Experience" that enables email logo display via Bing Pages.
• Focus on profile cards: Microsoft's documentation, such as those related to "Profile Cards in Microsoft 365," refers to internal organizational profiles for collaboration, not external brand logos in customer emails.
• Edge for Business: Microsoft Edge for Business focuses on a dedicated work browser experience, which is distinct from email display features.
• Connected experiences: Microsoft's Connected Experiences refer to services that utilize cloud-based functionality, which is a broad category and doesn't specify email logo features.

Key considerations

• Verify sources: Always refer to the latest official Microsoft documentation for features and services rather than relying on outdated or unofficial sources.
• Distinguish features: Understand the difference between internal profile management features (like Microsoft 365 Profile Cards) and external email brand display features (like BIMI).
• Adhere to Microsoft's sender requirements: For overall deliverability, comply with Microsoft's general sender requirements for Outlook and other domains.