Jetour South Africa’s Head of Marketing views himself primarily as an operations-focused leader, with a strong awareness of both his strengths and weaknesses, gladly taking input from others, with an approach that is grounded in strategy, adaptability, and staying committed to long-term brand goals.
Shaun Steynberg is very humble, considering the impact his marketing efforts have had on the brand to date, with this new SUV contender recently breaking into the country’s top 15 automotive brands, selling 683 units in June alone and surpassing several long-established names in the local market.
Jetour launched in South Africa in September last year with their five-seater Dashing and seven-seater X70 Plus models. Shaun was drawn to this role through the opportunity to help build a new brand from scratch – a startup environment that allowed him to shape everything from positioning to strategy.
This involved growing the marketing team from the ground up into a strong, five-person unit – all driven by a shared passion to position Jetour in a crowded and highly competitive market.
Prior to launching, Shaun and his team conducted extensive market research to understand what consumers want when considering and purchasing vehicles, building a strategy around that insight and developing a value proposition that would resonate with their target audience.
“One of the biggest challenges was launching into a market with long-established brands who spend heavily on media. We’ve had to be more creative, dynamic, and strategic with a smaller budget. That means spending wisely and being more out-of-the-box in how we operate,” he says.
“What excites me most about working on a new car brand in South Africa is the opportunity to build something and challenge the big brands for market share. It’s about being the underdog with an amazing product and having the chance to compete and grow,” Shaun says.
“What hooked me on the automotive industry and marketing was the thrill of the chase, especially from a sales perspective.
It’s about having clear targets, building a plan to reach them, and then the satisfaction of executing a marketing plan that achieves those goals. I also enjoyed the creativity, coming up with ideas, building them out, and seeing the impact,” he says.
Jetour’s brand identity combines affordable luxury with the global ‘Travel+’ strategy. Since launching internationally in 2018, the brand has been guided by this ‘Travel+’ strategy, with the aim of being the automotive brand with the deepest understanding of travel. In over sixty countries where the brand has launched to date, Jetour integrates lifestyle and travel by positioning itself as a companion for exploration and adventure.
“Some brands have tried to enter that space but haven’t succeeded. We’ve had the conviction to stay the course, keep the positioning consistent, and align everything with that strategy, without getting distracted by short-term opportunities,” Shaun says.
Shaun describes his leadership style as hands-on and operations-driven, relying on his team’s strengths to help drive results. “I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I surround myself with people who bring value, and I’m always open to good ideas,” he says. “I’m passionate about the brand, and I’m fully invested in its success. I live and breathe Jetour. Passion, tenacity, and a willingness to try new approaches have been key to what we’ve built so far”.
Shaun’s role will be tested even further as creativity and execution become increasingly crucial with the arrival of another two exciting and highly anticipated SUV models later this year.