*By Michael Teich*
Uber has spent millions of dollars on an ad campaign in which its chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, tries to win back customers' trust after the ride-hailing company was beset by scandals and a slumping reputation.
The ad was a departure for Uber, but a necessary one because "we're in an environment where people want to hate," said the Wall Street Journal reporter Suzanne Vranica.
Uber, Wells Fargo and Facebook, which all endured a backlash from customers related to corporate missteps, have spent more than $60 million recently to protect their public image, according to research from iSpot.
"You can’t discount trust," said Vranica in an interview Thursday with Cheddar. And though users may still be logging on to Facebook, their behavior could change as they lose faith in the platform.
"Long term, it will impede ability to attract advertising dollars," she said. "It takes a long time to evaluate to see if it's a problem. That's why they need to spend so much money."
The social media company's stock plummeted after it was reported that it failed to protect the private data of 87 million users exposed in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Facebook shares climbed back near all-time highs as investors' concerns appeared to wane after the company reported user growth in its last quarterly earnings that appeared to be unaffected by the scandal.
Vranica still warned, these are "long-term problems that could eat away at your brand" and "overall brand health really matters."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-cost-of-regaining-customer-trust).
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy's added more egg-filled breakfast items. In normal times, egg producers could meet the demand. But a bird flu outbreak that has forced them to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. Some restaurants like Waffle House have added a surcharge to offset their costs.
William Falcon, CEO and Founder of Lightning AI, discusses the ongoing feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, and how everyday people can use AI in their lives.
U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum “will not go unanswered,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Tuesday, adding that they will trigger toug
The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down the agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal. Russell Vought is the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought directed the CFPB in a Saturday night email to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama created it following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Jeff Benedict, author of 'The Dynasty,' weighs in on the Kansas City Chiefs being the next big dynasty, who he thinks will win Super Bowl LIX and more. Watch!
