I have been following the news intently this last couple of weeks and have watched as Hurricane Harvey has wreaked havoc and devastation throughout the Southern Gulf States. We’ve all seen the desperation as people wade through the water or wait on higher ground for a rescue. My heart goes out to all those displaced people – I hope the worst is over for them and life will get back to normal soon.

However, in the midst of all this chaos, there are countless stories of complete strangers with boats rising to the occasion to help their neighbours, of people forming human chains to reach an elderly man stuck in his submerged truck or of animal rescue organizations rescuing people’s pets that they could not bring with them. These moments warm my heart and remind me that there is still good in the world.

What doesn’t warm my heart are the other stories of businesses turning a blind eye, as in the case of a megachurch who refused to open their doors when shelters were in short supply, or worse yet, of businesses capitalizing on the vulnerable – hotels jacking up prices for their rooms, big box stores selling water for four times what they normally charge and oil companies creating panic with threats of fuel shortages.

A company spends millions of dollars trying to create a brand position for their products – and tie a connection between their name and certain positive attributes. It is shocking that any company can be so short sighted and risk damaging their brand with small, but highly publicized, gestures of poor corporate behaviour. And let's face it, with social media, there's no place to hide - of course these examples were going to make the news - everyone has a cellphone with a camera and an Instagram account.

It’s easy to think a company has integrity in the good times – most company websites highlight that they prioritize such things as developing their people, supporting their community and being a good corporate role model. However, how a company behaves in challenging times like Hurricane Harvey speaks volumes about what they really stand for. Price gouging consumers at their worst? That’s shameful.

As consumers, we need to pay attention and support those companies that really do have do have integrity and on the flipside, stop supporting those that don’t. Vote with your dollars – and send these companies a clear message that there are consequences to poor company behaviour.