Troy Bilsborough

Founder & MD
Provocate

Brisbane

“Only public relations can create something out of nothing – the true definition of innovation."

‘Dark horse’ innovator Troy Bilsborough used the PR industry’s most overlooked skill, maths, to force the Australian Prime Minister to backtrack, exposing a giant hole in the core economic principles underpinning Australia’s Federal Budget recovery and highlighting how Australia was falling behind the rest of the world in Covid vaccination rates and accurately predicting a resurgence in the virus in time for Australia’s May 2022 Federal Election. In doing so, he went against the views of prominent epidemiologists and medical experts. He managed this by putting himself and his agency Provocate’s client experience, of using PR to build its own brand. And to cap it all, he built an innovative product and client pipeline in the process.

Since founding boutique PR agency Provocate in 2017, he’s steered the firm to becoming one of the most-nominated across APAC in the last five years, including scooping SABRE awards. He’s notched up nearly 20 years’ experience leading and protecting the public, policy and political agenda, including during his time as head of strategy and communications to the Federal Health, Aged Care and Sports ministers and serving two Brisbane Lord Mayors.

How do you define innovation?
Only public relations can create something out of nothing. That is the true definition of innovation.
The best C-suites also understand that modern innovative is as much about embracing progress as it is progressiveness.

Failing to understand this nuance is why so many modern business and political agendas fail to transform their promises of reformation into real, meaningful reform.

What is the most innovative PR or marketing initiative you've seen over the past 12 months?
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across APAC, particularly as presented by the likes of Emily Poon from Ogilvy at this year’s PRovoke Summit, blew my mind in their innovation. Just the ideas alone. Who comes up with that? At the same time, I see everything through a public affairs lens, and it both fascinates – and frightens – me how these great consumer AI innovations could so easily be applied to broader political and policy communications - and rapidly alter the future of public discourse and debate as we know it.

In your opinion, which brands and/or agencies are most innovative in their approach to PR and marketing?
The buzz at the moment is around companies like Patagonia, and, of course, they should be congratulated for their altruism. But I can also live without backpacker wear. The true innovation that impresses me comes from those companies providing day-to-day essential services – who know deep down we can’t currently live without them – yet can demonstrate real social innovation and reform to their audiences, while continuing to remain profitable. That’s the holy grail in my books. It’s why that past two years I evolved Provocate’s own mission for our clients to delivering commercially-driven communication strategies that mutually benefit the company – and the communities and countries they operate in.

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider to be innovative.
I really can’t go past Provocate®’s VaxEnomic® Forecaster, and the resulting creation of our ElectionomicsTM product suite. Not just because of the awards and accolades. Or the publicity. Or taking on the ‘Big 4’ at their own game and winning.

By bringing Covid data collation, generation and modelling inhouse, we were able to deliver C-suite the rapid business insights needed to minimise the disruption on their bottom line from a volatile commercial landscape, while using scaled communications to simultaneously shape better policy, hold governments to account, raise our brand profile and authority, and generate new business. Or, in other words, undertake some PR for PR’s sake.

Who do you admire for his/her approach to innovation?
Musicians like David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Madonna and Lady Gaga have always fascinated me as the true marketing leaders of our time. Their ability to not only create a new craze, but have the foresight to continually evolve at the height of their popularity, rather than wait until their star is on the fade, is what great innovation is all about. Doubly so, given each of them has been willing to risk dissatisfying and disenfranchising elements of their established supporter bases as the transition into the next stage of their evolution. Modern politics and policy makers could learn a lot from them.

How do you get out of a creativity rut?
Stop trying to be creative. And, as Jack White of the White Stripes says, set a deadline. Nothing gives me anxiety me more than the thought of coming up with a ‘big idea’ on demand, and yet the minute you let go of the need to be ‘creative’, it just becomes another ordinary task, often with extraordinary results. And, if all else fails, mow the lawn, as one of Australia’s great ad gurus once taught a young me. Works every time.

What advice would you give to the PR industry around embracing innovation?
Watch our backs. Communications is a scientific skill, not an art. We are increasingly staring down our own ‘anyone can be a journalist’ moment, both externally with content creators – but also internally with the millions of communications that increasingly flow in and out of our organisations unchecked every year as technology makes it easier for everyone to be a ‘communicator’ or ‘story teller’. You don’t get to call yourself a mathematician if you can add and subtract. Protecting and promoting the core of our central skills, not the channels we use, will be critical to the future success or failure of our sector.

What would you be doing if you weren't doing your current job?
A colorectal surgeon - which would allow me to improve health outcomes and save lives, while simultaneously giving me permission to talk sh*t all day.

Which book/movie/TV show/podcast/playlist/other cultural source has provided inspiration over the past year?
Revisiting ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’. I always find it a great reality check to listen to comedians talk about their best work being when they’re delivering a message without production values providing a crutch to lean on or a distraction to cover up weak material.

As comedians Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld nailed in Season 11:

“I feel like when you add money to a project, you're tampering with the comedy. 'Cause all of a sudden, we're building big things, taking time... taking the fun out of it. And with a little pressure, little cheap, little sloppy... you just feel like... that little edge.”

How would you like to see work culture, and the role of the office, evolve?
I was trained in the school of management by walking around, so I actually love office culture and the insights it provides. But I think companies have largely lost the PR war on returning to the office for now. I predict the first big corporate who can entice their entire workforce back to the office full time will be (ironically) crowned as one of the next big innovators.

How can the PR and communications industry harness innovation to make more progress on diversity, equity and inclusion?
If there’s anything that politics has taught me, it’s understanding that progress doesn’t happen without opponents and outliers changing their positions. And acknowledgement (no matter how seemingly trivial or pandering) of them is just as critical to policy success as advocacy and admonishment. Otherwise, you risk greater division and disadvantage than when you began.