Fifth Ring Founder Ian Ord features in The Drum's Agency Leaders series this week, in conversation with Rob Morrice. The interview ranges from the agency's roots in 1990s Aberdeen to the forces reshaping the global energy industry today, and lands on a phrase worth holding onto.
That distinction matters. After several years in which ESG and the transition dominated the messaging in the energy sector, Ian argues the conversation has shifted. Security of supply and affordability have moved back to the centre of how clients are thinking and talking. Environmental responsibility hasn't been abandoned. The commercial reality of delivering it has caught up with the rhetoric.
The implication for marketers is significant. The dominant story has moved beyond old versus new, oil versus wind, dirty versus clean. The real question now is one of resilience, integration and the practical economics of keeping the lights on. As Ian puts it in the piece, no single fuel source or technology is the answer. The advantage goes to the businesses that can integrate a mix of sources to match real-world demand.
The interview also revisits the strategic decision that shaped Fifth Ring more than two decades ago: choosing internationalisation and specialism over the conventional path to London. That choice is the foundation of how the agency works today, with offices in Aberdeen, Houston and Singapore serving clients across energy, maritime, manufacturing, technology and semiconductors.
Rob Morrice's full interview with Ian is now live on The Drum.