Openly Gray® Names Richard Bell CEO as Marketers Confront Their Most Expensive Blind Spot

Veteran brand strategist joins Openly Gray to help turn accidental dependence on the 50+ market into intentional advantage

NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Openly Gray® announces the appointment of Richard Bell as Chief Executive Officer, marking a strategic escalation as brands confront a largely unacknowledged truth: a significant share of revenue comes from consumers over 50, without being designed, defended, or intentional.

Across major categories, adults over 50 account for 35–65% of sales by default rather than by strategy. While many organizations measure older consumers and study their purchasing behavior, few have assessed how much this accidental dependence is costing them or where they are exposed.

“What’s astonishing isn’t the size of the gray economy, it’s how accidental brand dependence still is,” said Bell. “Loyalty by neglect is not strategy. Companies that act with intention build advantages that are extremely difficult to dislodge.”

Openly Gray was founded to work with leadership teams to identify where brands are strategically exposed, operationally vulnerable, and culturally misaligned as the longevity economy reshapes markets faster than organizations are adapting.

“Richard’s appointment reflects a major shift in go-to-market strategy,” said Lee Brody, co-founder of Openly Gray. “Brand owners are realizing that the 50+ consumer population is an immediate opportunity for growth.” 

Unlike traditional research or strategy firms, Openly Gray operates across the full value chain, combining original research and cultural analysis with brand strategy, creative communications, and media activation. This ensures insight translates to action.

“Richard’s role isn’t to explain the gray economy,” said Lee St James, co-founder of Openly Gray. “We brought him on to help companies understand what they’re putting at risk by their own inaction and how to respond with clarity and speed.”

Bell brings more than three decades of experience spanning brand strategy and global business leadership. A former attorney and entrepreneur, he has led US growth for multiple international firms helping them navigate structural change. Bell brings a personal commitment to healthy aging. A certified yoga instructor and daily Pilates practitioner, he has long focused on how movement, purpose, and longevity intersect – both individually and at scale.

As awareness of the gray economy grows, Openly Gray believes the window for passive engagement is closing.

“The gray economy is no longer emerging,” Bell adds. “What’s emerging is accountability.”

ABOUT OPENLY GRAY

Openly Gray focuses its talent and resources on the most powerful and under-valued global consumer: people over 50. By turning demographic inevitability into commercial urgency, the firm moves brands from accidental dependence to intentional leadership. Openly Gray is committed to addressing one of the most overlooked consequences of market neglect: senior isolation. When brands fail to design intentionally for older consumers, they sacrifice growth and reinforce consumer invisibility. Intentional design restores relevance, inclusion, and respect.

For more information, visit www.openlygray.com.

Media Contact:
Lee Brody
412-607-1060
[e-mail]

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SOURCE Openly Gray LLC