What’s in a name?

By Paul Mwirigi Muriungi 

William Shakespeare, the English playwright, poet and actor, is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.

One of his most famous and read pieces of art is Romeo and Juliet, the story of two lovesick teenagers whose relationship is—here's the source of the tension— forbidden. Both Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet come from wealthy families in the Kingdom of Verona, Italy, but the families have been fighting bitterly for years.

Romeo and Juliet, a play believed to have been written between 1591 and 1595 and first published in a quarto version in 1597, contains the famous quote, "What's in a name?" That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” came from.

Here, Juliet expresses that a name is inconsequential, arbitrary and a mere label and doesn't define the essence or true nature of a person or thing, but the intrinsic qualities of that person or thing are what matter most.

This week, the quote "What's in a name?” came to light after the ceremonial handover of electricity distribution from UMEME to Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) on Monday, March 31, 2025, when it was announced that UEDCL had rebranded the ‘YAKA’ system to ‘light’. 

Its announcement on X was telling if anything but: “𝐓𝐄𝐊𝐀𝐊𝐎 "𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓”: Uganda’s favourite phrase “𝐘𝐚𝐤𝐚” just got an upgrade. Say hello to 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 the new name for electricity vending. So next time the units run low, don’t panic, just top up your 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 and keep shining. #TheBigSwitch”. 

Focus was put on this online, with Ugandans now more amused over the change of name from ‘Yaka’ to ‘Light’ and less angered at UGX 430 BN buyout following UMEME Limited's electricity distribution concession period ending nor the uncertainty of power availability following the transition.

With Ugandans flooding X and Facebook with hilarious comments and memes, screenshot questions like “Who is ready to say, ‘Light is done’?” quickly flooded the social media space, to much amusement by many.

Trust Ugandans to make a meal out of anything! 

Jonan Kiiza, the Head Corporate and Stakeholder Affairs at UEDCL Ltd, is stated as having said this on why they opted for “LIGHT” instead of retaining the “YAKA” name after taking over from UMEME Ltd. 

“At UEDCL, our identity is rooted in our mission and vision. Our tagline, ‘Lighting Up Your World,’ aligns with our commitment to lighting homes and businesses across the country. So, the choice of ‘LIGHT’ in our branding is not random. While ‘Yaka’ has become a familiar name, it’s important to note that it is a trademarked brand. Intellectual property rights must be respected, and as UEDCL, we wanted to establish our own unique identity while ensuring a seamless transition. Instead of focusing on why we moved away from ‘Yaka,’ we hope Ugandans will embrace our vision and hold us accountable in delivering reliable and affordable electricity.”

In corporate and marketing communications, the choice and selection of a brand name for a product and service is important, infact very, very very important! So important that it can make or break its fame and fortunes along with its brand reputation and that of its parent company.

In the early 1980s, Ayds, a diet candy brand successful in the 1970s, faced disaster when the AIDS epidemic emerged. The phonetic similarity between "Ayds" and "AIDS" led to unintended associations with the deadly disease, despite no connection. Sales plummeted as consumers avoided the product, and the brand never recovered, eventually disappearing from the market.

The company’s failure to rebrand proactively resulted in significant losses, estimated in the millions, as its name became a liability.

In 2001, The British Post Office Group rebranded to "Consignia" to reflect a modern logistics focus, moving away from its traditional "Royal Mail" identity. The name, meant to sound sophisticated, was widely mocked as vague and pretentious, confusing customers and staff alike. Public backlash and a 20% sales drop forced the company to abandon the name within a year, reverting to Royal Mail Group.

The failed rebranding reportedly cost £1 million (around $1.5 million at the time), not including lost revenue, underscoring the financial risk of abandoning a trusted name.

In 2009, the Sci Fi Channel rebranded to "Syfy" to appeal to a broader, younger audience and secure trademark rights. However, "Syfy" was slang for syphilis in some circles, alienating core sci-fi fans and drawing ridicule. While not a complete financial collapse, the rebrand cost millions in marketing, and viewership dipped initially, with some analysts estimating a loss of brand equity valued in the tens of millions. The name stuck, but the transition hurt its reputation among loyal viewers.

Lastly, Mercedes-Benz entered the Chinese market under the brand name “Bensi,” which means “rush to die.”, Pepsi’s slogan “Pepsi Brings You Back to Life” was debuted in China as “Pepsi Brings You Back from the Grave.” and Colgate launched toothpaste in France named “Cue” without realizing that it’s also the name of a French pornographic magazine.

With UEDCL Ltd running a monopoly, it is unlikely that it will make a financial loss considering there are absolutely technically no alternatives, apart from solar energy. However, the loss of the name ‘Yaka’ and the cultural relevance to Uganda will be something that UEDCL Ltd will be hard placed to replace.

But as Jonan said, the focus should instead be on delivering reliable and affordable electricity. In spite of this, with YAKA not seeing the light of day post-UMEME buyout, one is tempted to ask: "What’s in a name"?