For companies in crisis, saying “I’m sorry” has become a more expensive endeavor.

Brands such as Wells Fargo & Co., Facebook Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. are spending millions of dollars on advertising campaigns to apologize for a range of corporate missteps and to win back consumers’ trust. The pitches blanketing media channels in recent weeks show how the latest wave of atonement tours has become more sophisticated, as customers themselves increasingly tap multiple forums to express their dissatisfaction with a brand....