Local Relevance Matters: Why One-Size-Fits-All Reward Catalogs Fail

There's a tempting logic to building a global rewards catalog: find the brands everyone knows, stock the categories that perform well in your home market, and roll it out everywhere. It's efficient. It's manageable. It scales.

It also doesn't work.

We've seen it play out dozens of times. A company expands its employee recognition or customer loyalty program into new regions, confident that their catalog is strong enough to travel. Six months later, they're staring at disappointing redemption rates, disengaged program members, and a growing suspicion that something fundamental is off.

The problem isn't the program design. It's not the points structure or the communications strategy. It's the rewards themselves... and the wrong assumption that what resonates in California also resonates in Catalonia, or Estonia, or Patagonia.

The Hidden Cost of Generic Catalogs
When program members browse a rewards catalog and don't see anything that feels relevant to their lives, they disengage. Sometimes quietly, sometimes permanently. They stop earning because they've stopped caring about redeeming. The program becomes background noise.

This shows up in the data as low redemption rates, but the real cost runs deeper. You're spending money on a program that isn't delivering outcomes. You're missing the opportunity to create meaningful moments of recognition or loyalty. And you're sending an unintentional message to your global workforce or customer base: we didn't really think about you.

That message lands harder than most companies realize. Rewards are personal. They're supposed to feel like a thank-you, a celebration, a moment of choice. When the options feel generic or irrelevant, the emotional impact evaporates. Offering 6 denominations of just a generic prepaid card screams “we don’t care about you”.

Why Companies Default to One-Size-Fits-All
If localized catalogs are so important, why do so many programs get this wrong? A few reasons keep coming up.

Complexity. Managing a truly global catalog means working with multiple suppliers, navigating local regulations, handling different currencies, and coordinating fulfillment and taxation across regions. Many organizations simply don't have the knowledge, infrastructure or bandwidth to do this well.

Lack of data. Without visibility into what's actually driving redemptions in each market, it's hard to make informed decisions about what to stock. So companies default to generic prepaid cards, or gift cards from global brands and hope for the best.

Assumptions. There's often an implicit belief that big brands translate everywhere. And while some do, many don't... or they resonate differently than expected. A premium electronics brand might be aspirational in one market and unremarkable (or entirely unaffordable) in another.

Vendor limitations. Not all rewards suppliers can actually deliver local relevance. If your supply chain is built around a handful of global fulfillment partners, you're going to end up with a catalog that reflects their limitations, not your members' preferences.

What Local Relevance Actually Looks Like
Local relevance isn't just about translating product descriptions or converting currencies. It's about understanding what people in a specific market actually want, and making sure those options are available, accessible and well-presented.

That might mean featuring regional grocery chains in Southeast Asia, where everyday essentials outperform luxury goods. It might mean prioritizing eco-conscious brands in Northern Europe, where sustainability influences purchasing decisions. It might mean offering mobile airtime top-ups in African markets where digital-first rewards drive the highest engagement.

It also means paying attention to cultural nuance. The way people think about rewards, recognition, and gifting varies across cultures. In some markets, experiences carry more weight than physical products. In others, practicality wins every time. Some audiences respond to aspirational brands; others prioritize utility.

Getting this right requires two things: the data to understand regional preferences, and the supply chain flexibility to act on that understanding.

Building a Catalog That Feels Rewarding Everywhere
If your current catalog is underperforming in certain regions, here's where to start.

Segment your redemption data. Look at redemption rates, category performance, and brand engagement by region. Where are the gaps? Where are members earning but not redeeming? That's where local relevance is likely missing.

Identify high-impact swaps. You don't need to overhaul everything at once. Start by identifying the top five or ten reward slots in underperforming regions and replacing them with locally relevant options. Measure the impact before scaling further.

Invest in regional curation. Treat your catalog like a product that needs local market fit. That might mean empowering regional teams to influence catalog decisions, or working with a supply chain partner who brings local expertise.

Prioritize digital delivery where it matters. In many markets, instant digital rewards (gift cards, vouchers or mobile data plan credits) outperform physical merchandise because they're faster and more convenient. Make sure your catalog reflects that.

Reevaluate your supply chain. If your current vendors can't support local relevance at scale, it might be time to consolidate around a partner who can. The right supply chain should make localization easier, not harder.

The Payoff
Programs that invest in local relevance see measurable results: higher redemption rates, stronger engagement, and program members who feel genuinely valued. It's the difference between a catalog that exists and a catalog that works.

More importantly, it signals something to your global audience. It says: we see you, we understand what really inspires you, and we built this with you in mind. That's the foundation of real loyalty, whether you're recognizing employees or rewarding customers.

See What the Data Says
CarltonOne is the world’s best reward platform. We’ve spent decades building a network of trusted supplier relationships across 190 countries. We locally source and locally ship merchandise rewards from the world’s most popular brands, speeding delivery times and simplifying support, warranty, customs, voltage, language and currency issues.

Our 2026 Rewards Benchmark Report breaks down redemption trends across 190 countries, revealing what's actually driving engagement in each region. If you're rethinking your catalog strategy, it's a good place to start.