Entering for the first time this year, Fifth Ring achieved the highest ranking of all Scottish agencies. The RAR annual top 100 uses a selection of criteria including financial performance, company growth and turnover per member of staff to individually rate the strongest companies.

Since 2004, RAR has been identifying the best agencies based on feedback from clients. Its online process gathers ratings and references from thousands of marketing professionals allowing organisations’ to make an informed choice of agency.

This latest achievement comes on the back of success for Fifth Ring’s Houston operation, which has grown from a standing start in 2008 to become a top-10 player in the world energy capital in only its third year of business.

Fifth Ring’s co-founder and group business development director, Ian Ord, comments on this latest achievement: “We are absolutely delighted to be the highest-ranked Scottish agency in this year’s RAR top 100. It is a huge achievement for the whole team at Fifth Ring and testament to all their hard work and commitment.

“I certainly believe that much of our success is down to a clearly defined vision and strategy, as we continue to carve our niche as communication specialists focused on the Energy sector. This has allowed us to grow internationally, where we also achieved recognition for our Houston operation earlier this year.”

A global specialist in business-to-business communications, Fifth Ring now has offices strategically located in the world’s oil and gas hubs. It also continues to work with a number of major construction industry and education accounts. In line with its international strategy the company opened an office in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year.

Mr Ord continues: “This is a fantastic way to end an extremely busy year and as we head into the festive period we have much to celebrate and look forward to in 2012.”

In recent months Fifth Ring, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has also taken a leading role in the Business Branding Network, an international affiliation of some of the world’s most creative agencies specialising in business-to-business (B2B) communications. BBN members use their combined skills to offer a powerful, complete package of marketing communications disciplines to the benefit of customers across the world.

The HBJ announced the top 24 largest Houston-area public relations firms in the Friday, August 12 issue and determined ranking by 2010 local gross revenue.

“Considering Fifth Ring has only been in the U.S. since 2008, and that in 2010 we had less than two employees, this is a remarkable achievement,” said Ian Ord, Group Business Development and Marketing Director at Fifth Ring. “We owe a great deal of gratitude to our global team who offers assistance and expertise when needed.”

In June, Fifth Ring won two awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) including, the PRSA Houston 2011 Mid-Size Agency of the Year Award and the PRSA Houston 2011 PR Professional of the Year Award, received by Brad Leone, Fifth Ring Houston’s PR Leader. They also won a 2010 PRSA Houston Gold Excalibur Award for the HIMA Americas 2009 North America Marcoms Campaign.

In 2010, the Houston office earned more than $500,000 in revenue during the second full year of operation, with less than two full-time employees.

“Our PR team is dedicated to delivering customised strategic PR support to clients,” said Ord. “We want to see our clients strengthen their business and find success as a result our hard work and communication guidance.”

Fifth Ring is dedicated to business-to-business communications with offices strategically located in the world’s oil and gas hubs, due to the core client focus being in energy. Other office areas include Kuala Lumpur, Aberdeen, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Fifth Ring, has embraced the benefits of a global footprint for the best part of a decade. For many of our clients, our ability to offer support both internationally and on-the-ground was imperative, so in 2004 we took the first step, opening an office in Dubai. This was followed by offices in Houston, Inverness, Abu Dhabi and most recently, Kuala Lumpur.

Our geographic spread brings with it a number of benefits. Our stakeholders, colleagues, clients, prospective clients, the media and academia view us in a completely different light and it allows us to add value to our client base through a truly international network; providing contacts, languages and a cultural awareness that are real differentiators to the offerings of our competitors.

With the benefits, however, come a number of challenges. We have had to learn to work on the world clock as opposed to the local clock, while conditioning ourselves to different cultures and commercial environments. But there are a few simple ways in which any company can avoid the most common pitfalls:

Culture: An international workforce can offer the native language and an understanding of local culture; factors that can present increased business opportunities. However, employees from around the world also have varying needs that should be taken into account, from religious beliefs to holidays. Cultural-sensitivity training can help you prepare before you expand or hire from overseas.

Economic Climate: Ensure you are well-informed on tariff and tax obligations in order to minimise costs and maximise profits. You should make sure intellectual property is well-protected to avoid duplication. Learn about local business etiquette; in the Middle East, for example, there are set days and times when local people are called to prayer. In Malaysia, you must greet business associates with eye contact and a hand-shake (with your right hand), while business cards are presented with both hands. Avoid causing offence by ensuring you have sound local knowledge that takes such factors into account.

Product/Company Name: Check that your products, logo and collateral do not contain words, symbols or colours that may be considered offensive by other cultures. Translating your marketing collateral and other media into the relevant language will provide further opportunities and demonstrate your company’s commitment to the country in which you are trying to establish yourself.

If you can grasp the basics, then achieving success through internationalisation is not world’s away.

Ian Ord, business development director, Fifth Ring Integrated Corporate Communications

Fifth Ring is a leading corporate communications specialist in the energy sector with offices in Aberdeen, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Houston and more recently Kuala Lumpur. It took up this opportunity because the company believes that IESTA’s work at the heart of the energy industry and its strong alignment with the local and international community mirrors that of Fifth Ring’s, which works within the energy industry on a global and local scale.

IESTA’s primary role is to internationalise North Sea energy expertise as the demand for it increases. It develops and maintains Scotland’s reputation as the global hub for the energy training and skills sector. IESTA’s formation was assisted and supported by Scottish Enterprise but more recently, through relationships like the one with Fifth Ring, it is now moving towards more commercial backing. This enables longevity and greater involvement within the energy industry.

Ian Ord said: “We are delighted to be supporting IESTA at its 2011 annual meeting. Since 2003 Fifth Ring has pursued a stragtegic expansion overseas and has established offices in the main energy capitals of the world.

“What we have seen over this period is that Scottish expertise, drive and energy is highly prized around the world and is one of our key exports as the oil and gas market matures. Our experience at Fifth Ring has been that by maintaining contacts and establishing business relationships with Scottish business people, a mutually supportive network exists that benefits all those involved.”

Gary Boyd, Director of operations for IESTA: “The support of sponsors like Fifth Ring means IESTA can continue its mission to help energy companies around the world close their skills gaps. It is also an opportunity to see how other Aberdeen-based companies have successfully expanded overseas. I am sure all our members will be interested to hear what Ian has to say on the matter.”

The meeting will be attended by the members of IESTA who are the leading decision makers in the energy training industry and educational industry. It will be held at the b-Solutions in Dyce, Aberdeen on August 19.

The awards were presented to Fifth Ring at the annual PRSA Excalibur Awards Gala on Thursday evening (June 23). The Mid-Size Agency award was open to any Houston-area agency with a verified annual revenue between $500,000-$999,999 in 2010.

The PRSA Houston Excalibur Awards for Excellence Program is an annual, peer-judged competition that honours outstanding professional accomplishments in the development and execution of comprehensive public relations programs, highlights individual communications tactics and recognizes outstanding individual and team achievements.

“To be acknowledged by PRSA Houston and our peers as the mid-sized agency of the year in Fifth Ring’s second full year of existence in Houston is amazing,” said Brad Leone, PR Leader and head of Fifth Ring’s Houston office. “Winning this award illustrates that Fifth Ring is well ahead of schedule in meeting our goal to deliver strategic public relations campaigns that increase awareness for our customers while strengthening their business.”

The PRSA Cincinnati chapter, which judged the awards, said about the agency: "In two years, Fifth Ring has gone from an international communication agency with no local presence, to a Houston PR powerhouse. With just a handful of staff, Fifth Ring has been able to consistently grow its business, provide exemplary client service and remain innovative and creative."

The Public Relations Professional of the Year Award recognizes an established practitioner for exceptional leadership; outstanding achievements in public relations; knowledge of PR strategy, tactics and budgeting; and contributions to the community, the PR profession and his employer. All PR professionals who have been in full-time practice for more than three years are eligible.

The PRSA Cincinnati chapter said the following about Leone: "As the PR Leader and Vice President of Fifth Ring Houston, Brad Leone has taken an international firm with no local presence to speak of in 2008 and grown it into a half-million dollar business in two years. His ability to develop and implement influential communications strategies and tactics were evident in work with Fifth Ring clients, all while growing the practice and helping develop Fifth Ring's local identity, brand and culture."

Fifth Ring is a global integrated corporate communications company dedicated to business-to-business communications – with a specialty in oil & gas. The firm started in Houston in August 2008 with the opening of its public relations practice.

Since then, the company has provided strategic public relations and crisis communications support for major companies in the energy industry as well as other business-to-business companies. In 2010, the firm’s clients included BP, GE Oil & Gas, Expro, Artificial Lift Co., Tensar, Argus Subsea, Petrofac Training Services, CORESTAFF and One Media Corp.

In 2009 Fifth Ring won a PRSA Houston Gold Excalibur Award for the HIMA Americas North America Marcoms Campaign entry.

The company employs more than 80 people across the United Kingdom, United States, Middle East and Asia.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Fifth Ring’s latest expansion highlights the increasing development opportunities across its key market sectors of energy, construction, property and financial services. It will be taking its integrated communications offering, which strategically combines business positioning, public relations, advertising, design & production and digital media & marketing, to the Malaysian market.

Group managing director, Clif Collier, believes that the expansion will not only open up new opportunities for Fifth Ring, but will also provide added value to its current clients. He said: “Our Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices have found over recent years that they have increasingly become a bridge into the Far East and with offices already in the major energy capitals of the world, including Houston and Aberdeen, the decision to have an office and full time team based there was the next logical step for us.

“Our areas of specialism: oil and gas, construction, the property industry and financial services, very much reflect the growth areas within the Malaysian market.”

Ian Ord, Fifth Ring’s business development director, said: “This exciting new venture will enable us to use our Kuala Lumpur office as the hub from which to conduct our business across both Malaysia and wider Asia. A local presence is a prerequisite in order to succeed, and we are confident that this expansion will lead to attractive opportunities for Fifth Ring, not only in procuring new business, but also in presenting new opportunities to our existing client base.

“The move demonstrates our active approach to fully internationalise Fifth Ring – a vision we set out in 2004 - by securing offices across the energy centres of the world. We constantly seek to raise the bar to an entirely new level.”

Fifth Ring’s new office is located in the heart of the city’s Golden Triangle and is led by senior communications consultant, Abi Firth, who is permanently based in Kuala Lumpur. Several of the company’s experts have been supporting her on the ground, with senior business positioning consultant, Jayne Craib, seconded on a long-term contract to the office in Kuala Lumpur, and the team are at final stage discussions with a number of companies.

The team will be recruiting locally across all areas of the company in Kuala Lumpur in order to facilitate the growth of the business and develop the local delivery team on the ground. With support from its UK, North America and Middle East teams, Fifth Ring has set high but realistic targets for its new regional office.

Collier added: “This is the latest step, but by no means the last, in fulfilling our vision of being the leading business to business specialists, with particular focus on energy, in the world. “

Monty was at Deeside Golf Club on Thursday April 28 to provide golf clinics for members and teams, before taking part in The Colin Montgomerie Ryder Cup Celebration Event.

Now in its second year, the specially-created golf extravaganza attracted 22 teams from Aberdeen city and shire and was followed by a Gala Dinner, held at the home of committee members Stewart Milne and Joanna Robertson, for 200 guests in the evening. The event, which included a charity auction, raised an impressive £225,000, surpassing last year’s total of £198,000 and significantly adding to the total raised for the Appeal so far.

Fifth Ring is a proud sponsor of Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal and designed the invites, auction programme and presentations for the evening. Appeal committee member and Fifth Ring’s business development director Ian Ord, said: “We’re proud to be a part of this appeal and delighted to have played a small part in the success of this popular event. The response from people has been fantastic, following the Press & Journal’s coverage of the Appeal, it has received over 1,000 donations so far.

“The next 12 months are crucial to the Appeal to raise the funds needed to make sure that the building can be completed in as short a time as possible. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their ongoing enthusiasm and support.”

Colin will be in Aberdeen on May 9 for a dinner at the Beach Ballroom, where he will be guest of honour, and again on July 5 for An Audience with Colin Montgomerie at the Music Hall.

Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal was established by Colin Montgomerie in memory of his mother Elizabeth who died of cancer. The Appeal aims to raise £3 million to bring a strong support network to Aberdeen with Maggie’s Aberdeen, which will be based on the grounds of Foresterhill Hospital and will offer support to anyone with a diagnosis of cancer in the region as well as their family and friends.

The finalists were revealed on March 7, following almost 5000 ratings by brand owners and marketing professionals.

The RAR awards recognise service excellence from the people that matter the most – the clients, who rate agencies they have worked with in terms of value for money, creativity, effectiveness, client service, strategic thinking and creativity/innovation. The top-rated agencies across marketing disciplines are also recognised, including digital, design and PR firms.

Shortlisted from dozens of submissions from the UK’s leading creative and marketing agencies, Fifth Ring received its nomination in the Best in Public Relations (over 30 staff) category for its work with various clients across the recruitment, oil and gas and property sectors.

Fifth Ring is competing against agencies including 3 Monkeys Communications, BIG Partnership, Brass, Bray Leino, GyroHSR and IAS B2B Marketing. The results will be revealed at dinner event on March 31 at the Marriot Hotel, Kensington, London.

Shortlisted from dozens of submissions from the UK’s leading creative and marketing agencies, Fifth Ring successfully impressed the panel of judges which included Microsoft’s chief marketing officer Alex Payne; Steve Antoniewicz, director of RAR (Recommended Agency Register); Michael Johnson, group brand director of Thomas Cook; Honda’s head of marketing, Martin Moll and chief marketing officer of Umbro, Trevor Cairns.

Fifth Ring, which also has offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Houston and Inverness, received the nomination in the Brand Development/Extension Strategy of the Year category for its work with international oil & gas job board OilCareers.com.

The Aberdeen-based integrated agency was appointed to support the job board after winning a competitive pitch in 2009 – primarily working on a re-branding campaign that would enable OilCareers.com to branch into the competitive US market, the first step in its broader plan for expansion.

The Drum Marketing Awards recognises excellence in all aspects of design, digital and  conceptual media marketing across UK agencies outside of London.

Fifth Ring is competing in the Brand Development Category against IAS B2B Marketing, AV Browne and Principles Agency. Last year’s category winner was Weber Shandwick. The results will be revealed at a glitzy black tie event on May 12 at the Ramada Jarvis Picadilly in Manchester’s city centre.

What I do expect is a maturation of existing technology; improvements that will become an intrinsic part of the way businesses communicate, with their customers, competitors and influencers.

Until now, businesses have tended to treat their websites – however sophisticated - as separate entities from the rest of the marketing mix. But organisations should see them as central to communication and marketing activity.

There seems to be more cross-referencing of information, with services such as Facebook and Twitter becoming increasingly important in the movement of web traffic. Therefore a company’s online presence will become ever more instrumental in putting across its brand message.

The immediacy of information will change too. Until now, people haven’t really had any expectations in terms of the quality of real-time information. Now, mobile telephones and tablet devices have the ability to send full screen videos in HD-quality.

Additionally, real-time updates are bringing a new rapidity to the provision of information.

In business-to-business communications, immediacy isn’t such an issue unless a big news story breaks, but real-time is definitely something that needs to be embraced by the business world because users access channels of communication constantly. By harnessing this shift towards immediacy, companies can vastly increase marketing exposure.

The quality and speed of mobile networks will enable increased convergence and as the demise of the desktop computer continues, more people will start to turn to social channels on their mobile devices. In the business world people will increasingly turn to them for recruitment and networking purposes. We will also see a rise in the numbers of those turning to tablet devices to conduct their business while on the move.

While genuine, face-to-face communication is irreplaceable, sites such as LinkedIn are going to become essential as introduction systems, assisted by the rising popularity of location-based services.

Say, for example, you attend a networking event, this could be the year your mobile device develops the capability, through the use of GPS and social tools, to let you know who you are sitting in a room with – and even what their interests are – in real-time.

This would provide you with the means by which to make informed introductions. Thus these tools may have an ever-increasing relevance in terms of business development.

All this activity is not so different to traditional marketing methods used by businesses. It is simply the modern equivalent of bringing products and services to market, presenting more opportunities to buy and sell.

To summarise, for the year ahead I see a drive towards richer media with increasing user expectations, improved quality and relevance of information and a maturity of existing technology – particularly social media and location-based services.”