{"id":14841,"date":"2021-07-16T09:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T13:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/?p=14841"},"modified":"2024-10-31T12:08:09","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T16:08:09","slug":"google-announces-bimi-and-vmc-support-for-increased-email-authentication-and-brand-trust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesslstore.com\/blog\/google-announces-bimi-and-vmc-support-for-increased-email-authentication-and-brand-trust\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Announces BIMI and VMC Support for Increased Email Authentication and Brand Trust"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Companies can now display their verified logo in Gmail messages to grow their brand and boost engagement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ready for your Gmail inbox to become more eye-catching and secure? It\u2019s about to start happening thanks to Google\u2019s rollout of VMC support. Formally announced earlier this week, the change will see verified company logos start making their way to your emails via the BIMI standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an initial pilot run last year<\/a>, in which a limited number of companies and certificate authorities (CAs) participated, the world\u2019s most-used email service will start recognizing VMCs. If you missed the test run or are unfamiliar with VMCs and the BIMI standard, they\u2019re basically a way for companies to include their trademarked logos in the messages they send out. The purpose is to boost brand recognition, increase engagement rates, and provide a higher level of trust with their communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are BIMI and VMCs, exactly? What are the requirements for using them? And who will they benefit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s hash it out.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>\n\n\n

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Reading This in 2024?<\/p>

Since this article was published, big things have happened. Namely, BIMI now works with Common Mark Certificates<\/a> (CMCs) as well. This second category of Mark Certificates<\/a> enables companies to display their brands\u2019 logos next to the sender field in messages to Gmail recipients.Learn about how Common Mark Certificates make it easier<\/a> than ever to display your sender logo in Gmail \u2014 no registered trademark required!<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What Are BIMI and VMCs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification and works with existing email authentication protocols such as DMARC<\/a> (Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance), DKIM<\/a> (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and SPF<\/a> (Sender Policy Framework). Without getting too far into the nitty-gritty details<\/a>, it\u2019s a type of DNS resource record that is used to display an image (a logo, to be more specific) in the \u201cfrom\u201d field, representing the sender\u2019s organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs)<\/strong> work in conjunction with BIMI to provide verification that the logo in question does, in fact, belong to the sender. They\u2019re a kind of digital certificate that authenticates your company and corresponding logo in order to stop phishers and spammers from misusing logos in order to trick their targets. Think of it like the checkmark on social media platforms, but with more stringent and secure validation requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"VMC
An authenticated logo displayed in Gmail next to the sender\u2019s details. BIMI is the mechanism that displays the logo, while the VMC is what verifies the logo and its ownership.<\/em> (<\/em>Edit: As of late September 2024, a verified blue checkmark appears next to VMC-enabled logos in Gmail.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What are the Prerequisites for BIMI and VMC Certificates?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you can take advantage of the new VMC support and display your logo with BIMI, you must have DMARC deployed on your email server. DMARC helps to minimize phishing and spoofing attempts by providing a higher level of control over the emails that your organization processes. It performs a series of authentication checks and then handles the message accordingly based on your policy configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, you\u2019ll go about setting up your BIMI record on the DNS server. A very important thing to note is that whichever image file you include in the BIMI record (a sample configuration can be seen below) must be trademarked<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"bimi
An example of a BIMI record.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Then, you can proceed with purchasing your VMC and going through the verification process with the CA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy A Verified Mark Certificate<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To recap, the steps for getting your VMC in place and your logo displayed are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Become DMARC compliant.<\/strong> To qualify for a VMC, your DMARC record must be set to either \u201cquarantine\u201d or \u201creject\u201d emails that fail the authentication checks. If you aren\u2019t sure if your email system is properly configured, you can check it via free tools such as this one from MXToolbox<\/a>. If it isn\u2019t setup correctly, check out this guide from DigiCert for help<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Verify your logo is trademarked. <\/strong>You can\u2019t get a VMC unless your logo is registered with the trademark office in your region. It\u2019s usually not a quick process, so if you\u2019re wanting a VMC then you should start the process immediately. Here\u2019s some more info regarding VMCs and trademarks.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Make sure your logo is properly formatted.<\/strong> In order to dispay properly in your recipient\u2019s inboxes, logos must be in the .svg format. Full details can be found here.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Buy your VMC.<\/strong> After you\u2019ve completed the previous steps, you can go about purchasing your actual Verified Mark Certificate<\/a>. Have multiple logos or domains? This article will help you determine exactly how many VMCs you\u2019ll need<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Test it out!<\/strong> Here\u2019s the exciting part, where you get to see your VMC in action. You\u2019ll want to make sure there aren\u2019t any issues before showing your verified logo to the world. Just be sure to carefully manage your certificates.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>\n\n\n

    The Benefits of BIMI and VMC Support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    As we touched on earlier, BIMI and VMCs aim to achieve a few different goals that result in better security and greater brand recognition. Thanks to the fact that DMARC is required for a VMC, we will see an increased adoption of stronger message authentication measures for the global email ecosystem. Spoofing and phishing attacks will be decreased, and companies will be better able to protect both their brand and customers from threats. As Dean Coclin, DigiCert\u2019s Senior Director of Business Development, says<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    With BIMI and VMC from DigiCert for DMARC-verified domains, organizations can now demonstrate to their customers a higher level of email security. DigiCert VMCs not only help reduce instances of spam and spoofing customers receive, because of the DMARC requirement, but they also enable organizations to go beyond displaying default email addresses to increase engagement rates and display their brands more prominently.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    In conjunction with verified logos that provide an immediate visual indicator of trust and security, BIMI and VMC support gives both senders and recipients increased confidence in what\u2019s passing through their inboxes and outboxes. It also helps marketers by creating a more immersive experience and fosters greater engagement with their audience. Seth Blank, Chair of the AuthIndicators (BIMI) Working Group, explains how<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    BIMI and VMC are a significant win for customers and brands of all sizes. DMARC ensures customers don\u2019t get spoofed email from the brands they trust, and BIMI ensures brands get increased impressions, open rates and brand trust<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    DMARC Benefits for Organizations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n