Brave Group CEO Appointed TO The Mark Awards Innovation Jury

Kalenga is calling for a reset in how the industry thinks about relevance and creative progress. "We don't innovate to be different, we innovate to remain necessary," Kalenga says. "Too much of what we call innovation today is just iteration. True innovation challenges assumptions, reshapes how we think, and forces us to rebuild what no longer works."

The Brave Group says Kalenga has championed a philosophy that puts transformation at the heart of strategy. The agency's work reflects a belief in the power of big thinking, cultural intelligence and technological fluency to solve real problems. 

"Clients don't need more noise. They need creative interventions that shift outcomes and reframe possibilities," Kalenga adds.

The Innovation category at the 2025 The Mark Awards, sponsored by OLIVER, recognises work that creates meaningful change. It celebrates the campaigns, platforms and provocations that don't just improve the status quo but render it obsolete. Kalenga joins a jury of global experts, including Genevieve van Vuuren, Valarie Vacante, Erna George, Yuvisti Ramgulam, Tanja De Korte and Dan Marcus, who are collectively looking for work that drives industries forward, says the Brave Group. 

Kalenga believes the industry has become addicted to quick wins and safe plays. "This is the era of generative content and synthetic voices. If we want our work to matter, it must go deeper. It must be more honest. It has to be braver," says Kalenga. 

Innovation, Kalenga says, must be measured not by its novelty but by the tension it creates and the systems it disrupts. "Are you designing for people or for platforms? Are you solving old problems in new ways, or new problems we haven't yet named? Are you building something future-proof, or just shiny?" asks Kalenga.

The Mark Awards, now open for submissions, is not just a showpiece for creative craft. It is a platform for bold, decisive thinking that reshapes what communications can be, says the agency. 

The Brave Group concludes that Kalenga's message to the industry is clear: Stop polishing the past. Create what your competitors will copy tomorrow. Design solutions that are uncomfortable, necessary and unforgettable. That is what innovation looks like. 

For more information, visit www.bravegroup.co.za. You can also follow Brave on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or on TikTok. 

*Image courtesy of X