How to set brand icon seen in inboxes?

Question

Hi all,I’m trying to understand the best way(s) to set our brand icon to be viewable in all email clients, or as many as possible... To date we set an icon of the sending email address we use in Google Workspace, so at least Gmail users see our icon in their inbox. We also created an Apple Business Connect account and linked it to the sender email, so Apple Mail users also see our icon too.Does Microsoft have a similar means of setting a brand logo for email senders?And now I’m being told by my marketing agency that the best practice here is to create a BIMI SVG version of our logo and add a corresponding DNS record, so all email clients will display our logo in the in-box. But is this correct? And if so, would the BIMI SVG override our icon set in Gmail and Apple Business Connect, or vice-versa?On top of this, a colleague told me we should use a VMC - Verified Mark Certificate  - instead of BIMI? This seems complex and expensive though.thanks to anyone who can explain the best ways to manage this!!

zacfromson · Accepted Answer

Hi ​@rob-nybGreat question and you’re not alone, this space is way more fragmented than it should be. Short answer: there is no single way to guarantee your logo shows in all inboxes today. What you’re doing (Google profile + Apple Business Connect) is correct, but it’s only part of the picture. Here’s how it actually breaks down:1. There’s no universal “brand icon” standardEach mailbox provider handles sender logos differently:Gmail → Uses Google profile images or BIMI (with strict requirements)Apple Mail → Uses Apple Business Connect (and also supports BIMI)Yahoo/AOL → Support BIMI (less strict)Microsoft (Outlook) → No real consistent support yet (very limited / pilot)So you’re essentially stacking solutions, not replacing one with another.2. BIMI is the closest thing to a standard (but not universal)BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is the DNS-based approach your agency mentioned.It lets you publish a logo that inbox providers may display if:You have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC fully set upDMARC is enforced (p=quarantine or p=reject)You host a properly formatted SVG logoYou add a BIMI DNS recordBIMI does not mean all inboxes will show your logoIt only works in supporting inboxes.3. VMC (Verified Mark Certificate), when it mattersGmail + Apple Mail require a VMC for BIMI logos to showWithout a VMC, BIMI may still work in Yahoo/AOL, but not the big onesWhat this Means:BIMI alone (no VMC) = partial coverageBIMI + VMC = broader coverage (especially Gmail + Apple)Downside:Requires a registered trademarkCosts $$$ and takes time4. BIMI will not override Gmail / Apple logosThey don’t really override,they just become the preferred source where supported.Gmail: will prioritize BIMI (with VMC) over profile imagesApple: BIMI and Apple Business Connect can coexistIf BIMI isn’t valid → fallback to your existing setupsSo your current setup is not wasted, it’s complementary.5. Best PracticeIf your goal is max coverage:Keep Google profile image (easy Gmail coverage)Keep Apple Business Connect (Apple ecosystem)Implement BIMIAdd VMC if ROI makes senseThat’s the current full stackapproach most mature senders use.

rob-nyb · Answer

Thanks, Zac - this was very helpful.For my brand in particular, we won’t be using VMC, because our trademarked logo doesn’t scale down well, so we prefer to use an alternate image.I guess we have coverage for all the main clients except Microsoft, so this works for now. thanks again!

How to set brand icon seen in inboxes?

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