Apple End-Runs BIMI With Branded Mail

Apple Email Will Show Company Logos Before Open

“In Apple Business Connect, you can configure Branded Mail. Branded Mail gives business owners the ability to add a brand logo and name to their business emails. Branded Mail also helps business owners build their brand identity, increase trust when communicating with customers, and make their emails stand out in the Mail app on Apple devices and iCloud Mail on the web.”

Last week, Apple announced Branded Mail. Companies can configure Apple Business Connect to display their logo and name on the most common mobile email client in the US market - iOS Mail - as well as iCloud Mail on the web.

Image From Apple

This is NOT BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). Branded Mail is a separate Apple-proprietary configuration. A preliminary look says that having BIMI configured will not deliver Branded Mail, and vice-versa.

Apple Business Connect was rolled out last year, delivering business listing control across Apple’s services ecosystem (Map, Message, Wallet, Siri and others.). Companies familiar with the ins-and-outs of Google Business Listings may say “wait, didn’t I do this already?”

Standards vs Proprietary: Call Your Market Share And Raise

With BIMI already in the world and (according to the BIMI Group) rolled out to Apple Inboxes 2 years ago…one might say…why? The cynical take might be something like “Apple has dominant email client share in North America…look what they did with MPP.”

The more generous take would be “Apple is extending the brand reach of their business listings into the inbox.”

The practical business take is “None of that matters. Just do this.”

Tip o’ the hat to the indefatigable Jay Schwedelson of SubjectLine.com / GURU conference for breaking this news. Jay’s observation:

“According to Knak and PracticalCommerce marketers have seen Open Rate increases over 20% for those brands who currently use BIMI. Since half of the planet uses the Apple Mail app this means that you can now get that boost to this massive new audience!”

Judging from the documentation, Apple’s solution appears to be a one-time configuration job. Verification of your company, and approval of your brand & brand logo, are in Apple’s hands. But this is a company that handles billions of App Store approvals — it’s not their first goat rodeo.

An email-marketing department would be pretty happy with a 20% boost in open rates (leaving aside the fact that open rates can’t be measured accurately because of Apple MPP!). Park the industry politics, and give someone ownership and authority of your Apple Business Connect listing. Small effort, potentially large gains.


Matthew Dunn