Summary
Understanding the landscape of email branding involves distinguishing between BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) and Apple Branded Mail. BIMI operates as an open, industry-standard protocol, enabling the display of a brand's logo in supporting email clients. Its implementation necessitates DMARC authentication set to an enforced policy, alongside a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to confirm logo authenticity. In contrast, Apple Branded Mail, a proprietary feature of Apple's Mail application, showcases a logo, a verified domain, and potentially a 'Brand Card'. While both technologies aim to bolster recipient trust and brand recognition, Apple's solution offers a more deeply integrated experience within its specific ecosystem, leveraging strong email authentication but with varied VMC requirements for its comprehensive features. For email marketers, a holistic approach often means adopting both, thereby ensuring extensive and consistent brand representation across a diverse range of email platforms and devices.
Key findings
- BIMI as Open Standard: BIMI is an open, industry-wide standard requiring DMARC at enforcement (quarantine or reject) and a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for logo display across various email clients.
- Apple's Proprietary Feature: Apple Branded Mail is a proprietary feature for Apple Mail, displaying a logo, a verified domain, and a brand card, leveraging strong authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) but not always requiring a VMC for all its features.
- Scope of Support: BIMI offers broader, multi-client support, whereas Apple Branded Mail is exclusive to Apple's ecosystem (e.g., iOS 16.4+, macOS Ventura 13.3+).
- Distinct VMC Requirements: BIMI strictly requires a VMC for logo display; Apple's feature utilizes authentication but may not strictly require a VMC for the verified domain or brand card elements.
- Enhanced Branding Elements: Apple's solution provides additional branding elements like the verified domain and a 'Brand Card,' offering a more integrated experience within its specific environment.
Key considerations
- Dual Implementation for Max Reach: To maximize brand visibility and consistency, implementing both BIMI and Apple Branded Mail is essential, as they cover different client ecosystems and offer distinct benefits.
- Authentication Foundation: Both systems fundamentally rely on robust email authentication protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM to verify sender identity and ensure brand trust.
- Client-Specific Behavior: Be aware that BIMI's functionality can vary; for instance, it may not work for Gmail users accessing their mail via Apple Mail, while Apple Branded Mail specifically caters to the Apple environment.
- Certificate Management: Plan for managing the necessary certificates, including a VMC for BIMI and potentially an Apple-issued certificate or ensuring robust authentication for Apple's proprietary features.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Building on the previous explanation of BIMI as an open standard and Apple Branded Mail as a proprietary feature, it's crucial to understand their distinct but complementary roles in email branding. While BIMI offers a broad, industry-wide method for displaying a verified logo across various email clients, requiring DMARC enforcement and a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), Apple's proprietary Branded Mail provides a deeper branding experience exclusively within the Apple Mail ecosystem. This Apple-specific feature not only shows a logo but also a verified domain and a 'Brand Card,' leveraging strong email authentication like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, often without the strict VMC requirement for these additional visual cues. Ultimately, to achieve maximum brand visibility and ensure a consistent, trusted sender identity across the diverse landscape of email platforms, implementing both BIMI and Apple Branded Mail is essential.
Key opinions
- BIMI's Client Scope: BIMI supports various email clients, but its logo display can be inconsistent; for instance, it may not appear for Gmail users accessing mail via Apple Mail, though it can work for Fastmail users who enable the necessary headers.
- Apple's Enhanced Branding: Apple Branded Mail offers additional branding elements beyond a simple logo, such as a verified domain name and a 'Brand Card,' providing a richer branding experience exclusive to Apple Mail users.
- VMC Requirement Variation: A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is a strict requirement for BIMI logo display, whereas Apple's proprietary branding features can display verified domains and brand cards based on strong authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) without necessarily requiring a VMC for those specific elements.
- Cross-Domain Logo Support: Apple Branded Mail allows logos to cross domain boundaries within Apple Mail, a capability that BIMI does not natively support for its logos.
- Proprietary vs. Open: BIMI is an open, industry-wide standard, while Apple Branded Mail is a proprietary feature, deeply integrated within Apple's ecosystem, necessitating different setup considerations.
Key considerations
- Comprehensive Branding Strategy: To ensure broad and consistent brand display across the diverse email client landscape, marketers should pursue both BIMI and Apple Branded Mail, as they address different client environments and offer distinct branding advantages.
- Authentication as Foundation: Strong email authentication protocols, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, are fundamental prerequisites for both BIMI and Apple Branded Mail to establish sender legitimacy and trustworthiness.
- Navigating Apple's Specifics: Be aware that Apple has made the process of adding logos more complex, and its Branded Mail feature offers unique integrations and branding elements within its ecosystem that extend beyond BIMI's core function.
- Target Audience and Client Usage: Consider your audience's primary email clients; if a significant portion uses Apple Mail, implementing Apple Branded Mail is critical for optimal branding alongside BIMI.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that Apple's Branded Mail offers extra benefits, such as showing logos to Gmail users on Apple Mail, where BIMI does not work. BIMI only functions on Gmail apps, not within Gmail mailboxes accessed via Apple Mail, though it can work for Fastmail users in Apple Mail if Fastmail publishes the required headers.
18 Jul 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that Branded Mail logos can cross domain boundaries in Apple Mail, which BIMI cannot, and BIMI's support on Apple is limited to iCloud users, not showing for Gmail users in Apple Mail. He also notes that Fastmail is an exception, allowing BIMI logos to appear for its users in Apple Mail by publishing the necessary headers.
27 Dec 2021 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Email branding solutions like BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) and Apple Branded Mail serve similar goals of displaying sender logos but operate on fundamentally different principles. BIMI functions as an open standard, facilitating logo display across various mailbox providers such as Gmail and Yahoo, and requires a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for implementation. Conversely, Apple Mail Branding is a proprietary feature exclusive to Apple's ecosystem, necessitating an Apple-issued certificate to showcase brand logos within Apple Mail. While distinct in their technology and reach, experts recommend adopting both for the most extensive and consistent brand presence across the full spectrum of email clients.
Key opinions
- Open vs. Proprietary: BIMI is an open standard supported by multiple mailbox providers, while Apple Mail Branding is a proprietary feature exclusive to Apple Mail.
- Certificate Differences: BIMI requires a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), whereas Apple Mail Branding relies on a specific certificate issued by Apple.
- Client Coverage: BIMI enables logo display on diverse platforms like Gmail and Yahoo, while Apple Mail Branding specifically targets Apple devices, including iOS and macOS.
- Distinct Setup: Each branding solution has a unique implementation process due to its differing standards and requirements, including certificate acquisition.
Key considerations
- Maximize Logo Visibility: To ensure your brand logo appears in the widest array of inboxes, implementing both BIMI and Apple Mail Branding is crucial for comprehensive coverage.
- Tailored Implementation: Understand that setting up BIMI and Apple Mail Branding involves separate steps, each with its own certificate and configuration nuances.
- Holistic Branding Strategy: An effective email branding strategy should incorporate both technologies to cater to the diverse email client preferences of your audience and maintain a consistent brand identity.
- Resource Allocation: Allocate resources for obtaining and managing the distinct certificates required by BIMI (VMC) and Apple Mail Branding, as well as their respective technical setups.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that BIMI and Apple Mail Branding both display brand logos in the inbox but are distinct. BIMI is an open standard requiring a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for broader adoption across multiple mailbox providers like Gmail and Yahoo. Apple Mail Branding is a proprietary Apple-only feature, requiring an Apple-issued certificate to work specifically within Apple Mail. Steve Atkins recommends implementing both for comprehensive logo display across all possible email clients and maximum brand reach.
18 Mar 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that BIMI is an open standard that allows logos to be displayed by various mail providers via a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). In contrast, Apple's mail logo display is a proprietary feature for Apple devices (iOS 16.4+, macOS Ventura 13.3+) and requires a certificate issued by Apple's trusted list. While not mutually exclusive or strictly required for a successful email program, implementing both BIMI and Apple's solution is necessary to ensure your brand logo appears in the inbox across the widest range of email clients.
15 Aug 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an open email standard designed to display a brand's logo next to sender information in supported email clients. Its implementation is critical for enhancing visual brand recognition and recipient trust, relying on strong authentication. Specifically, BIMI requires DMARC authentication set to an enforcement policy (either quarantine or reject) and the acquisition of a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). The VMC proves the authenticity and ownership of the logo, which is fetched from a DNS TXT record, thereby making BIMI a robust standard for both security and brand identity in the inbox.
Key findings
- Open Standard for Logos: BIMI operates as an open, industry-wide email standard, enabling the display of brand logos in compatible email clients.
- DMARC Enforcement: It mandates that the sending domain pass DMARC authentication at an enforced policy (quarantine or reject) for the logo to appear.
- VMC Authenticity: A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is a non-negotiable requirement to verify the authenticity and ownership of the brand logo shown.
- DNS-Based Retrieval: Logos are retrieved via a URL specified in a DNS TXT record associated with the sending domain.
- Trust and Recognition: The primary goal of BIMI is to build recipient trust and enhance brand recognition through consistent visual branding in the inbox.
Key considerations
- Foundation for Brand Trust: BIMI establishes a strong foundation for sender trust by visibly associating a verified logo with your email sends.
- Strict Authentication Prerequisite: Achieving BIMI implementation requires a fully configured DMARC policy at enforcement, which is a significant technical prerequisite.
- VMC Acquisition: Companies must plan for the process and cost associated with obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate from an authorized certificate authority.
- Enhancing Deliverability: While primarily a branding tool, BIMI's reliance on strong authentication practices indirectly contributes to better email deliverability by signaling legitimacy.
- Broad Industry Standard: As an open standard, successful BIMI implementation offers the potential for logo display across a wide array of email services that adopt the standard.
Technical article
Documentation from BIMI Working Group details that BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an open email standard allowing organizations to display their brand logo next to their sender information in supported email clients. It requires DMARC authentication at an enforcement policy (quarantine or reject) and a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to ensure the logo's authenticity. This standard aims to improve brand recognition and trust for recipients across the internet.
15 Apr 2023 - BIMI Group
Technical article
Documentation from The IETF Trust details that BIMI is a standard that enables the display of sender-specified images in email clients. It operates by fetching a logo URL from a DNS TXT record, but only if the sending domain passes DMARC authentication with an enforced policy. The core distinction is its reliance on DNS records and DMARC to present a logo across various email clients that support the open standard.
24 Aug 2024 - IETF RFC Editor
How do I display my logo in email inboxes, particularly Gmail, and what are the BIMI requirements?
How do I implement BIMI and get my logo to show in Gmail and Yahoo Mail?
Is BIMI available for email clients and what are its implementation requirements?
What are common questions and answers about BIMI email authentication?
What are the benefits and requirements of BIMI for email deliverability and branding?
What are the requirements and implementation steps for BIMI?
