Increase Email Opens Through Logo Branding

Your logo is more than just a graphic... it’s your organization’s signature. In a crowded inbox, that small icon is sometimes the only thing standing between a recipient opening your message or ignoring it.

Setting this up is easier than it looks. You simply need to decide which "path" fits your budget and your audience.

To build immediate trust and stand out in a crowded list, displaying your brand’s logo is essential. It tells your people, "Yes, this is really from us."

First impressions happen in milliseconds. By displaying your official logo, you aren't just looking professional; you’re building immediate trust. Organizations that implement logo branding see:

• 21% increase in open rates
• 18% improvement in brand recall
• 34% increase in purchase likelihood

(Practical E-Commerce Stats)

Free & Simple Logo Branding

Apple Email Logos

Apple Business Connect is a free platform. It lets your logo show up next to emails in the Apple Mail app (on iCloud, iOS, and macOS). If a big portion of your audience uses Apple, this is a quick win.

1. Confirm DMARC Is Enforced - Ensure your domain has DMARC set to p=quarantine or p=reject.
2. Register Your Organization - Go to the Apple Business Connect portal. Sign up and register your business using your Apple Account.
3. Verify Domain Ownership - Follow the prompts in the platform to prove you own your email sending domain.
4. Upload Your Logo - Here is some good news. You don’t need a complex SVG here. Apple accepts standard formats like PNG, JPEG, or HEIF.
5. Turn on Branded Mail - Link your verified domain with your uploaded logo to activate the feature.
6. Manage Your Presence - You can also use this portal to control how your brand looks in Apple Maps, Wallet, and Siri. It’s a one-stop shop.
7. Wait - It usually takes 3–5 business days for verification to happen, then you will be good to go.

Outlook Email Logos

Microsoft handles branding differently. They don't accept BIMI—which is discussed below—instead, they rely on your Microsoft Profile.

To get your logo to show up for Outlook and Microsoft 365 users, you must update your Microsoft Profile Photo at the organizational level. (You will need a Microsoft Admin from your team to do this)

The Result: When you email another Microsoft user, your "profile picture" (your logo) will appear in their inbox and contact card.

Bonus Strategy: BIMI

BIMI is the official standard for displaying logos in the inbox. It connects your brand image directly to your domain security. It is the most powerful method but also the most technical. 

Common Mark Certificates (CMC) are what we suggest for organizations that want to get their logo no the most email clients possible without having to worry about trademarks. Here is what pricing looks like.

CMC Pricing:

Note: Prices vary based on multi-year commitments and reseller discounts.

Now that you've picked your path, let's set up the BIMI foundations.

Step 1: Set up BIMI Foundations

This is the big one. BIMI relies entirely on strong email authentication. Without this foundation, nothing else works. The following setup is needed whether you implement Self-Asserted, CMC or VMC branding.

1. Verify Sending Sources - Make sure your Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) are set up correctly. They need to cover all your sending sources.
2. Verify DMARC Policy - Set your DMARC policy to strict enforcement.
   1. Policy must be set to p=quarantine or p=reject.
   2. Note: p=none is not enough for BIMI.
3. Match Domains - Ensure the domain used in your DMARC record matches your sending domain exactly.

Once your security is tight, it’s time to get your visuals ready. But... you must choose which path you want to take first.

Step 2: Prepare Your Assets

Once you have chosen your path, create the files you need.

1. Logo Prep (Required for BIMI)
   1. Create Your SVG - Design your logo in the SVG Tiny PS format. This is strict. It’s the only file type BIMI accepts. (Or convert it to Tiny PS here)
   2. Host the Logo - Upload that SVG file to a secure web server. It must be publicly accessible via HTTPS.
   3. Copy the Link - It should look like: https://staff.triumph.tech/Content/ASM_Thumbnails/1/Content/triumph-tiny-ps-email-logo.svg
2. The Certificate (Required for CMC or VMC)
   1. Purchase a certificate: Pick an authorized authority (DigiCert, Entrust, etc.).
   2. Validation: They will verify your identity (video call) and logo usage.
   3. Output: You will receive a .PEM file.
   4. Hosting: Upload the .PEM file to your public web server (HTTPS).
   5. Copy URL:https://yourdomain.com/certs/brand-certificate.pem

Step 3: Publish the DNS Record

This is the switch that turns BIMI on. Add the following TXT record to your DNS provider.

Host/Name: default._bimi

Value (Select from below):

1. If you are going the FREE route (No Certificate) - Use this if you did not buy a certificate.

v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/images/logo-tiny-ps.svg; a=;

2. If you purchased a CMC (Paid Certificate) - Use this if you have a .PEM file.

v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/images/logo-tiny-ps.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/certs/brand-certificate.pem;

TTL: 1 Hour (3600 seconds)

Final Record...

That’s it! You have navigated DNS settings, verified your identity, and claimed your space in the inbox.