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Scaling affinity insurance across borders

From fragmented country programmes to a unified global strategy.

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08/06/2026

While many multinationals operate affinity programmes, most struggle to scale them effectively across markets

Affinity insurance is evolving into a meaningful driver of customer engagement, loyalty, and earnings across sectors such as automotive, consumer electronics, financial services, retail, and telecommunications to name a few.

Fragmentation across countries, insurers, operating models, and customer journeys often limits consistency, visibility, and long-term performance.

Our report, Scaling affinity insurance across borders, in partnership with the Open & Embedded Insurance Observatory, explores how combining centralised strategies with strong local execution enables organisations to move from disconnected local initiatives to coordinated multi-territory affinity programmes.

Why many affinity insurance programmes fail to scale globally

Many multinational organisations already have affinity insurance programmes in place. The challenge is not adoption — it is scale.

Programmes that work well in one market cannot easily be extended across multiple countries where regulations, taxes, languages, servicing, claims, and distribution all differ. Successful delivery depends on combining central strategic oversight with strong local execution, aligning the ten core components illustrated in our report in each territory.

A blueprint for building scalable multi-territory affinity programmes

In practice, a company will work collaboratively with its broker — ideally one that combines central strategy with local delivery capabilities — to validate the commercial and regulatory feasibility of scaling based on anticipated costs, minimum viable premium levels, and key regulatory requirements in the markets concerned. 

Doing so involves the broker engaging with the client’s head office and local offices to gain a full understanding of all the requirements and business priorities. From there, the broker follows a repeatable and scalable process. 

Why a global broker makes a difference

A global broker powers affinity programmes to scale across borders by combining deep local expertise with central oversight that coordinates strategy and stewardship across markets.

What differentiates a global broker is on the ground execution and an integrated global network that technology alone cannot replicate. Deep carrier relationships, delivery oversight, and local regulatory experience ensure smooth distribution, consistent servicing, and measurable growth.

Is your affinity programme ready to scale globally?

Download our report to learn how to assess operational readiness, governance, customer experience, scalability, and regulatory alignment.

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FAQs

An affinity insurance programme is a partner-distributed insurance product offered to a defined group—customers, members, employees, or platform users—through channels such as retailers, manufacturers, associations, banks, or digital platforms. It can be embedded into the purchase journey or sold as a separate, co-branded offering; in both forms the goal is to enhance customer value, simplify access to cover, and create revenue and loyalty opportunities for the distributing partner.

Programmes commonly fail to scale because they are fragmented by country, insurer, broker or operating model, creating inconsistent customer experiences and weak governance. Differences in regulation, tax, language, claims handling, distribution and data prevent straightforward replication without central oversight and local execution.

Key operational challenges include multi-jurisdictional compliance, insurer placement and renewals, claims and servicing variation, technology integration, and fragmented data reporting across markets. Without coordinated governance, these issues undermine speed to market, consistency and commercial performance.

Consistency requires a central governance framework combined with local market execution: align stakeholders, standardize core product elements, integrate technology and analytics, and document regulatory and operational requirements for each territory. Regular stewardship, shared reporting and a repeatable rollout process help maintain service standards while allowing local adaptation.

A global broker like Marsh provides central strategy, coordinated placement and programme stewardship while leveraging local presence for regulatory, insurer and operational delivery. By connecting a tightly integrated global network with technology, data analytics and on-the-ground execution, the broker enables scalable, consistent and compliant multi‑territory affinity programs.

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