The Challenge
Shaun Tomson is a legendary World Surfing Champion, acclaimed motivational speaker, best-selling author, entrepreneur, and celebrated environmentalist. Named one of the ten greatest surfers of all time by Surfer Magazine, Shaun inspires audiences worldwide with his message of resilience, commitment, and the power of purpose.
Tomson set out to simultaneously re-launch his iconic surf brand Instinct while inspiring and empowering students across Southern California this spring with his Positive Wave Tour, a speaking initiative that brought Tomson’s Surfer’s Code to more than 50,000 high school students from Santa Barbara to San Diego. A personal mantra of 12 commitments beginning with the words, “I will…”, the Surfer’s Code is a powerful tool for encouraging unity, resilience, integrity and purpose. Through sharing Tomson’s Code, the Positive Wave Tour aimed to create a ripple effect of positivity and purpose across local communities, and Shaun tasked MPC and our team of PR experts with spreading the word.
Running from January through May 2025, the initial push for the Positive Wave Tour fell during a chaotic time for Southern California. As out of control wildfires tore through Los Angeles County, MPC was tasked with promoting the tour and re-launch amidst a natural disaster dominating the news cycle across Southern California.
The MPC PR team created a detailed plan identifying all the elements needed to run a successful PR campaign around the Positive Wave Tour and announcement of the re-launch of Instinct, including measurable objectives, while staying conscious and considerate of affected communities and local news.
The Solution
The MPC team carried out a variety of strategies and tactics to support the PR campaign, including…
- Developing and pitching a targeted media list focused on the tour stops in Southern California, focusing on the opening event in Huntington Beach and a subsequent event in Laguna Beach
- Drafting, finalizing, and distributing two news releases - one for the opening of the tour and another around the Laguna Beach event
- Created and sent targeted pitches to local media publications, focusing on an opportunity for positivity and encouragement during a difficult time for the community
The Result
While the scope and hours of this project were limited, MPC secured a total of 8 media placements for the Positive Wave Tour, with highlights including an article in the Daily Pilot (an LA Times publication), an appearance on the action-sports industry podcast The Monday M.A.S.S. with Chris Cote and Todd Richards, and an interview on The Zest, a podcast hosted by Orange Coast Magazine.
The campaign achieved success by utilizing the MPC team’s media relations strategies and connections and was completed on time and on budget. The advertising equivalent of the earned media placements secured by MPC’s PR efforts is valued at over $200,000. After the completion of the campaign, we asked Shaun how he felt, and he had this to say -
"Master Plan Communications ignited the publicity to promote the relaunch of my brand Instinct through a Positive Wave Tour of schools and universities. They were creative, responsive and effective and it was inspiring to work with such an awesome team of enthusiastic individuals. If you are looking for positive PR that gets results, call the Masters!"
Our team had a great time working with Shaun, our local Southern California communities, and pushing towards a kinder, more connected world. Thanks, Shaun!