Showcase Your Brand With Mark Certificates: VMC or CMC
Get the the new Common Mark Certificate (CMC) to display your logo even without a registered trademark.
Email Logo Certificates are a powerful way for brands to enhance their email authentication and boost trust with their recipients. As more businesses focus on email security and customer engagement, the ability to display a verified logo next to the sender’s name in inboxes becomes an essential tool for brand recognition.
GeoCerts is now offering two types of Mark Certificates: Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) and the newer Common Mark Certificates (CMCs). Both certificate types help you establish a trusted email identity, but with different requirements and use cases.
DigiCert Mark Certificates Comparison
| Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) | Common Mark Certificate (CMC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Registered logo requirement | Requires a registered trademark or official government mark. | No trademark needed; proof of prior use (e.g., 12+ months in public) suffices. |
| Gmail blue checkmark | Displays both your logo and Gmail’s blue verification badge. | Only displays your logo; no blue badge. |
| DMARC enforcement | Requires a DMARC policy set to p=quarantine or p=reject (full enforcement). | Also requires a DMARC policy set to p=quarantine or p=reject. |
| How easy to get? | Harder to obtain – must have an official trademark, and CAs verify legal ownership; mark registration must be completed before issuance. | Easier and faster to obtain – no trademark process; issuance often takes just a few days. |
| BUY VMC NOW | BUY CMC NOW |
How VMCs and CMCs Work
Logo-verified email is the collaboration between major email client providers like Google Gmail, Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), and select Certificate Authorities like DigiCert to foster uniform, trusted and visually verifiable email experiences for both businesses and consumers. Here's how it works:
-
Similar to an SSL/TLS certificate, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC) is required to display your logo on verified emails. VMCs and CMCs - powered by DigiCert - are now available for purchase from GeoCerts.
-
To display your logo in email clients your organization must have DMARC set up and ready to go. DMARC, which stands for "Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance", is a policy framework that helps reduce fraudulent and harmful emails protecting brands and users from costly abuse.
-
When your organization's email is DMARC compliant you can upload your logo and start displaying your brand logo to your customer's inbox.
Video
What are Verified Mark Certificates? Why Do They Matter?
Learn how Logo-verified email with VMC and CMC helps you improve user trust, increase brand visibility, sweeten customer experience, and boost your user engagement.
Which One Would You Click
The entire organization benefits from logo-verified email.
Finally, IT and Marketing can agree on a priority.
VMC & CMC Benefits for Marketers
- Rather than placeholder initials, customers will see your verified logo - even before they open your email.
- Your organization delivers a more authentic and recognizable unified experience.
- VMCs and CMCs instantly associate trust and authenticity with your brand's email messaging.
- Stand out from the generic email clutter and let customers know you've made their security a top priority.
- Increase visibility, recall, and engagement— A recent Verizon media study showed a 10+% increase in engagement rates.
DMARC with VMC/CMC
- Demonstrate best practices email security through DMARC enforcement.
- Make it tougher for hooligans and fraudsters to target your customers with identity-focused spoofing and phishing attacks.
- Get better visibility and management over the emails sent and received by your domain.
- Detect and identify the types and frequency of attacks targeting your organization's domain.
- DMARC with VMC/CMC ensures legitimate emails are delivered with confidence, without anything falling through the cracks.
DRAG A FILE HERE
OR UPLOAD
How Will Your SVG Logo Display?
Drag an SVG file here to see what your customer will see.
How To Get Ready for VMC or CMC
-
1. Get DMARC compliant now
Your organization must be DMARC compliant before a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC) can be issued. Find out if your email sending domain is already using DMARC with Valimail's domain checking tool . DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) takes time and planning. Get started now with our helpful step-by-step DMARC guide .
-
2. Choose your certificate type
For VMC: Your brand's logo must be registered with the appropriate government trademark office in your region before you can get a VMC. Getting an official trademark for your organization can be a lengthy process, so you should get started as soon as possible. Learn more about trademarking your logo.
For CMC: No trademark registration is required! You can use your existing logo without official trademark registration, making CMC perfect for startups and growing companies.
-
3. Properly format your logo
Your logo must be in SVG Portable/Secure (SVG-P/S) format in order to display properly in your customer's email inboxes. Point your graphics team to this resource to find out how to get your logo ready for BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification).
-
4. Purchase a VMC or CMC
Ready for VMC or CMC? Get started and buy a Verified Mark Certificate today or buy a Common Mark Certificate today. If you have multiple logos or domains use this guide to determine how many certificates your organization might need.