Building partnerships that help customers succeed: Inside wienerberger’s Channel Marketing Team

At wienerberger, we have a dynamic duo within our Channel Marketing team that helps merchants, distributors and tradespeople get the most from our products, services and expertise.

Daniel Cheung, Lead Channel Marketing Manager, and Craig Poulton, Channel Marketing Specialist, work closely with customers and account partners across the UK to develop strategies, deliver training and provide the support customers need to succeed. With a combined expertise that makes work flow seamlessly, Daniel and Craig share their career journeys, proudest achievements and what motivates them in their roles at wienerberger.

Understanding customers from the ground up

Speaking on his role, Daniel comments:

"We specialise in distribution and our job is to understand our products, insights, customers, tradespeople and merchants, ensuring we know what they need and when they need it. We also work with sales, product and other commercial teams across wienerberger to make sure that everyone is delivering what our customers need day in, day out.

"We work with the likes of Travis Perkins and SIG Roofing, identifying their objectives and aligning our approach to help meet them commercially. Whether that involves leveraging a new product or service, we provide the support they need to train customers, develop branch staff and put our products front and centre."

The Channel Marketing team is always looking for creative projects to drive measurable results. 

"We partnered with Burton Roofing and SIG Roofing to promote our Danum TLE concrete roof tiles in Q4 of 2025 and Q1 of 2026. Through this, we were able to raise the purchase of Danum TLE tiles by 80%. During this campaign, we were able to get products into branches, raise awareness among branch staff and help them sell through at branch level. This campaign also helped customers gain a wider share of the market for our Danum TLE tile."

Since joining wienerberger in 2019, Daniel has specialised in distribution. With a long-term experience across branding, product marketing and customer-facing roles within construction, he has also seen significant changes within the marketing function itself.

"I've worked in construction for over 15 years in various marketing teams, both small and large. The benefit of having a large team like we have at wienerberger is having specialists across multiple disciplines, all supporting each other. 

"Over the years, my role has evolved alongside the team. We've grown from a relatively small team to a team of more than 20 people and combining our expertise gives us the opportunity to support the business in the right way."

For Craig Poulton, success is about more than commercial targets. Since joining wienerberger as a Merchandiser in 2019, Craig has progressed through several roles within the team, before moving into his current position.

Today, he works closely with national accounts, key account partners and apprenticeship programmes, delivering training, strategic support and industry initiatives. Through his experience and close collaboration with customers, Craig has developed a simple philosophy that continues to shape his approach.

"Earlier in my career, I realised that you can't hit targets if you don't truly understand what partners need. Each customer has different needs, so spending time listening to our customers and our sales teams helps shape our approach. Targets aren't achieved in isolation. They're achieved through understanding pain points and building solutions that genuinely work for customers.

"I believe we stand out because we don't just supply products. We also offer support, which doesn't end at the point of sale. We invest time in training, insights, marketing support and product education, so our partners feel confident talking about our product range. Whether it's helping with stock strategy, digital content or technical guidance, we aim to be the partner that removes friction and adds value. It's all about ease of doing business as customers now value simplicity, clear information, quick responses, dependable supply and helpful digital content, all of which we provide. 

"For me, the balance comes from recognising that long-term relationships always create better commercial outcomes. If customers trust that we're acting in their best interests, not just chasing short-term wins, they stay loyal, they collaborate more openly and we can achieve growth together. Sometimes that means making decisions that don't deliver instant gains but build credibility. Being transparent, consistent and solution-focused usually pays off in the long run."

Speaking on some of the projects they have participated in to invest in future talent, Craig comments. 

"We spent the summer visiting more than 50 customer branches, delivering hands-on training to their teams. It was a huge effort but seeing how much value it gave our customers made every mile worth it.

"Helping them understand our products, our brand and how to position solutions for their customers genuinely strengthened those relationships. It felt like we were investing back into our partners, not just selling to them. Supporting skills competitions like Super Trowel means a lot to me. These events shine a light on the industry and give young tradespeople the skills, materials and confidence they need to grow.

"Watching them develop, seeing their enthusiasm and knowing we're helping the next generation succeed is something I'm really proud to be part of. We're building knowledge, confidence and future careers, and that's what ‘building for what's next’ is all about."

When asked what he enjoys most about his role, Craig points to the variety.

"Every day is different. I can be working on strategies on a Monday, and then on a Friday I can be out supporting a bricklaying competition, watching the trades, laying out products and creating amazing displays."

Ultimately, Daniel and Craig share a common goal, which is putting customers first. By listening to customers, building strong partnerships and making it easier to do business with wienerberger, they're creating lasting value for merchants, distributors, tradespeople and future generations of construction professionals who are building for what's next.