We’ve heard all about Twitter’s blue checkmark saga, before and after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social platform. But, it seems that checkmark fever has begun to spread to other platforms. Google has started implementing its own blue checkmark system. Now, Gmail users will be set to see approved brand profiles with blue checkmarks displayed in their inbox.
As per Google:
“In 2021, we introduced Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) in Gmail, a feature that requires senders to use strong authentication and verify their brand logo in order to display a brand logo as an avatar in emails. Building upon that feature, users will now see a checkmark icon for senders that have adopted BIMI. This will help users identify messages from legitimate senders versus impersonators.”
In order for a brand to get their shiny new blue checkmark, they will have to go through Google’s brand verification process. This means that you’ll need to register your logo with a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), and a higher level of account security, along with a higher level of account security. With this new checkmark, this should give more assurance from those receiving brand emails that the source is legit.
If your brand uses Gmail, getting this blue checkmark may be a wise move to ensure that your email recipients can easily recognize your brand and differentiate it from fraudulent impersonators.
Further information regarding the checkmarks and the application process can be found here.