Concerns over privacy, workplace culture, and social responsibility have required the chiefs of Silicon Valley's biggest firms to defend themselves in unfamiliar forums, said Ben LaBolt, a partner at Bully Pulpit, an image consulting firm.
As tech companies face greater public scrutiny, and Congress considers regulation, LaBolt said executives must show they're sympathetic as well as diligent.
"A lot of it is as much style as it is substance," said LaBolt, a former campaign press secretary for President Obama. " It's showing respect for the members of Congress, talking to the broader public, not just the people in the room."
LaBolt said Monday in an interview with Cheddar that the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's appearance before Congress earlier this month was an example of the new requirements for Silicon Valley executives. Public hearings can test an executive's judgment in different ways than he or she is used to.
"I think starting with 'I'm sorry' is always a good place to start, but it's usually not enough," said LaBolt. "People need to see accountability."
He cited the case of Uber's former chief executive, Travis Kalanick, who was forced out after reports of combative behavior and a toxic work environment. Uber is a Bully Pulpit client, and since Dara Khosrowshahi took over the company, LaBolt said he has heard more from his client about efforts to change company's culture than he has negative stories about Uber being a difficult place to work.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/image-and-branding-in-the-digital-era).
TikTok said it's investing billions of dollars into the southeast Asia market, one of the company's biggest, over the next few years.
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Rivian is expanding into New York City and launching its first showroom there. Cheddar News took a look at the showroom in NYC that the company is calling "spaces," which is intended to be experiential retail locations to woo new customers.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday it hopes to weed out false or misleading animal-welfare claims on meat and poultry packaging with new guidance and testing.
Stocks swept higher Thursday, revving the longest rally for Wall Street in a year and a half into a higher gear.
If you're looking for food that's good for you and the planet, look no further than the new Isle of Us café and marketplace in the Upper East Side. Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier is on the scene with more.
The price of one kitchen staple is dropping at a historic rate. In May, egg prices had their largest monthly decline in 72 years. Ricky Richardson, CEO of South Carolina-based Eggs Up Grill, joined Cheddar News to discuss the state of play in the egg industry as prices fall while food costs overall are on the rise again. Egg prices are "returning to more normal levels now, we're running down about 40% on a year-over-year basis," he said.
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