Just like a human child whose genetic code is fixed at the time of the birth, a brand too is born with an embedded life script or a coding pattern. If that string is vibrated, it plays back the original music. But if the genetic code is not stirred, we get erratic performance or dissonance.

The pattern created at the time of brand’s birth is a matter of circumstances and intentions of people who shape that brand. A brand team has to stick to the brand’s birth intent steadfastly or else the brand wavers.

As Congress party in pre-independence India fought for freedom under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru, Gandhi appointed Nehru as his heir in post independence era. After being associated with Congress, for long, Nehru saw the seeds of a dynastic rule in congress. This is a historic truth. Janta Party came on the scene to challenge the hegemony of Congress, and thus it acquired a pattern of being challengers to the main ruling party.

Life script of a of the brand changes when there is complete disruption in the environment of the brand or a complete change in the leadership or ownership of the brand.

Colgate was a market leader in the tooth paste market. Close-Up entered the scene. Close Up usurped the new gel category. Colgate was slow to launch gel. Instead, it tried to challenge Close Up. Its leadership script got a dent.

Colgate’s birth intent could be decoded as protecting teeth. From this perspective, it should not have considered Close Up as a threat. Instead, it has to develop a gel brand with distinct health-related discriminator. It would have considered its dental hygiene position, and aligned it to its life purpose.

The birth vision of a brand is shared by the entire brand team.

In the race of Coke and Pepsi, Coke was a leader worldwide. and Pepsi a challenger. If these roles are reversed, both these brands are affected.

A brand should be defined only in terms of leader and challenger scripts. Coke has steered its script towards human cohesion, and Pepsi is driven by a sense of distinction. Coke always tries to bring people together and Pepsi will never tire from defying the established order.

But brand destiny premise has its fallacy. What is the role of a brand management team if the brand unfolds only its life script? Though a brand has has a relationship with its source, it has also an internal driving impulse which influences the brand’s path.

A brand is open to new interpretations by positioning. The idea behind the brand — its abstract philosophical core  — determines or substantially influences the content and form of the brand. The brand idea of rugged masculinity vests Marlboro with the leadership script. A brand system must be understood as it is a composite entity. It makes us clear about our role as brand managers.

Brand’s life script is what Kapferer calls brand kernel and Yound and Rubicam, brand belief. It explains the genesis of the brand, and the source of its energy, inspiration, and sense of purpose.

Though brand’s life purpose is valuable, it is a moot point how many brands take care to decipher it. Mostly brands are indifferent or misconstrue their vision. There are occasions when the fortunate few brands whose life mission is known change it the midway when the baton passes from the original father to others who succeed him.