What is the value of BIMI and when does implementing it not make a difference?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 16 Jun 2025
Updated 17 Aug 2025
8 min read
Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) has emerged as a promising email standard, allowing brands to display their verified logos directly in the recipient's inbox. The core idea is to enhance brand visibility and build trust at a glance, potentially leading to improved engagement. However, the actual value derived from implementing BIMI can vary significantly depending on a brand's existing market position, audience, and internal processes.
The conversation around BIMI often highlights its potential to boost brand recognition and, by extension, key engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates. While some reports suggest notable increases, experiences can differ. It's important to understand the multifaceted nature of BIMI, which goes beyond just a visual cue in the inbox.
BIMI requires a robust foundation of email authentication, specifically a DMARC policy at enforcement (p=quarantine or p=reject). This prerequisite alone delivers significant security and deliverability benefits by preventing unauthorized use of your domain for sending emails. Therefore, part of BIMI's perceived value is inherently tied to the strengthened security posture that DMARC provides, even if the logo itself doesn't directly drive all the expected gains.
The value of BIMI
The primary value proposition of BIMI is centered on enhancing brand visibility and fostering recipient trust. When a verified logo appears next to your email in the inbox, it creates an immediate visual cue that helps your email stand out in a crowded environment. This instant recognition can make recipients more likely to notice and open your messages, especially when compared to emails lacking such visual verification.
Beyond mere visibility, BIMI signals a commitment to email security. For a logo to be displayed via BIMI, the sending domain must have a DMARC policy set to enforcement. This rigorous authentication process helps mailbox providers and recipients trust the legitimacy of the sender, thereby reducing the likelihood of phishing and spoofing attacks that often exploit brand reputation. The BIMI Group outlines benefits for senders, including leveraging DMARC investment to increase brand value.
Some studies and anecdotes suggest that implementing BIMI can lead to tangible improvements in engagement. For example, some businesses have reported increases in open rates by a significant percentage. These gains are often attributed to the heightened trust and immediate recognition the logo provides, making recipients feel more confident in interacting with the email. Additionally, a strong visual presence can reinforce brand recall and loyalty over time.
The strategic value of BIMI, therefore, extends beyond simple metrics to encompass broader aspects of brand management and customer security. It's a proactive step in a landscape where email authentication is becoming increasingly critical for email deliverability.
When BIMI's impact is less noticeable
While BIMI offers clear advantages in brand visibility and trust, there are situations where its implementation may not yield a noticeable difference in immediate, measurable results like open or click rates. This often occurs when a brand already possesses exceptionally high brand recognition and engagement rates prior to BIMI adoption.
For very well-established brands, recipients may already recognize their emails instantly, even without a logo displayed directly in the inbox. In such cases, adding a BIMI logo might not significantly alter recipient behavior. If engagement metrics are already at peak performance or industry-leading levels, there may be minimal room for a measurable increase attributable solely to the presence of a logo.
Another factor is the existing trust level. If a brand has consistently delivered relevant, high-quality content and maintained excellent sender reputation over a long period, its emails are already implicitly trusted. The visual verification of BIMI adds an extra layer of authentication but might not dramatically shift recipient perception or action if that trust foundation is already solid.
Furthermore, not all email clients or mailbox providers fully support BIMI, or some require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for logo display. If a significant portion of your audience uses clients that don't render BIMI logos, the impact on your overall metrics will naturally be limited. It's crucial to understand your audience's dominant email client usage to set realistic expectations for BIMI's effect on your campaigns.
Implementation considerations and cost
Implementing BIMI involves several technical and organizational hurdles, especially for larger corporations. The necessity of a DMARC policy at enforcement, along with potentially obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), can introduce significant time and resource commitments. These steps often require coordination across various departments, including IT, legal, and marketing.
The process includes setting up DMARC monitoring, making necessary DNS changes for both DMARC and BIMI, and hosting the SVG logo file. Each of these steps can be complex and time-consuming, leading to a substantial investment in internal resources or external consulting. You can learn more about the detailed implementation steps for BIMI.
For some, the expected return on investment (ROI) in terms of direct, quantifiable engagement increases may not justify these significant costs and efforts. This is particularly true if the brand already has a strong market presence. However, the value of BIMI extends to brand protection and user reassurance, which can be harder to quantify directly but are nonetheless critical for long-term brand health.
Expected benefits
Enhanced brand visibility: Your logo appears in the inbox, making emails instantly recognizable.
Increased trust: A verified logo reassures recipients of sender legitimacy, reducing phishing concerns.
Potential for higher engagement: Some brands report increased open and click rates.
Reinforces DMARC adoption: Requires a DMARC policy at enforcement, improving overall email security.
Broader benefits beyond immediate metrics
Despite the mixed experiences with direct metric improvements, it's important to remember that BIMI's value extends beyond immediate, measurable engagement lifts. It serves as a visual indicator of a brand's commitment to email security and its adherence to best practices.
In a world increasingly threatened by phishing and email fraud, BIMI helps users quickly identify legitimate senders. This inherent trust, while difficult to quantify, contributes to a safer email ecosystem for consumers and helps protect your brand's reputation against impersonation. This protection is a significant benefit, even if it doesn't immediately translate into a bump in your campaign open rates.
The long-term benefits of BIMI may also unfold over time. As more mailbox providers adopt and support the standard, and as users become more accustomed to seeing verified logos, the collective impact on brand recognition and trust across the email landscape will likely grow. The investment now could be a strategic play for future competitive advantage in email marketing and security.
Ultimately, the decision to implement BIMI should be weighed against your specific brand goals and existing email maturity. For newer brands or those looking to establish trust, BIMI can offer a clear visual differentiator. For established brands, it may serve more as a reinforcement of existing trust and a proactive security measure that supports overall email deliverability best practices.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Ensure your DMARC policy is at enforcement (p=quarantine or p=reject) before attempting BIMI, as it's a prerequisite for displaying your logo.
Understand that BIMI's primary value is brand identification and anti-phishing, not necessarily an immediate, dramatic lift in open rates.
Consider the costs and time involved in legal, procurement, and IT alignment for VMC acquisition and DNS changes.
Evaluate your existing brand strength and audience's email client usage to set realistic expectations for BIMI's impact.
View BIMI as part of a holistic email security strategy rather than a standalone marketing tactic for engagement spikes.
Common pitfalls
Expecting significant, immediate increases in engagement metrics for already well-established brands with high recognition.
Underestimating the complexity and time commitment for cross-departmental coordination in large organizations.
Failing to have a DMARC policy at enforcement, which prevents BIMI from working.
Misinterpreting BIMI as a direct email deliverability solution instead of a brand display and trust signal.
Focusing solely on ROI from engagement without considering the broader benefits of brand protection and customer trust.
Expert tips
Implement BIMI as a reward for strong email authentication, enhancing trust and protection.
Recognize that BIMI's value in brand management and recognition often outweighs direct, measurable engagement lifts.
Understand that the difficulty in measuring BIMI's direct impact doesn't negate its value in specific contexts like banks or large Gmail audiences.
Remember that a good DMARC implementation, tracing all email sources, is invaluable regardless of BIMI.
BIMI helps users differentiate between legitimate and spoofed domains, which is a crucial brand protection benefit.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that for a large online retailer with an already established brand and high engagement rates, implementing BIMI showed almost no change in engagement on supporting ISPs. The significant cost in time due to legal and procurement processes made it seem 'worthless' by this metric.
November 26, 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says they have implemented BIMI for some of the world's biggest brands, and these brands are satisfied and see the value. This process can even be easier for large companies because their legal teams typically have established processes for trademarks and Extended Validation (EV) certificates.
November 26, 2023 - Email Geeks
The true impact of BIMI
BIMI's value lies in its ability to enhance brand visibility and strengthen email security through the visual display of a verified logo. While it may not always deliver dramatic, quantifiable boosts in engagement for all brands, particularly those already well-established, its role in fostering trust and protecting against impersonation is undeniable.
Implementing BIMI requires a foundational commitment to email authentication, notably a DMARC policy at enforcement. The investment in time and resources for this process should be viewed as a comprehensive effort to secure your email channels and reinforce your brand's legitimacy. Its benefits, while sometimes indirect or harder to measure, contribute to a stronger, more trusted email presence in the long run.
