Recessions are not bad for everyone. Some industries thrive in a downturn. Many qualms and quibbles go out the window as needs triumph over desires. Fast-food restaurants are a case in point. A safe meal for my family in a warm environment with the minimum of fuss? Yes, please.

This shift is fairly obvious. What is less obvious — and more interesting — is what happens when the economy bounces back. Do people immediately return to their previous patterns of behaviour? Do they go back to the brand name if they have traded down to own-label? Do they resume buying bottled water after its price forced a pause? And do they stop visiting the likes of Burger King and McDonald's?

The answer to these questions will determine some of the real winners and losers of the downturn. It is here that social and environmental issues, and the corporate response to them, can play powerful roles. This is particularly so when it comes to fast-food restaurants, because the industry has an image problem. It was so vilified that many people removed fast food from their consideration set altogether. The consensus seemed to be that not only was it a deeply unhealthy option, but it also came at the expense of employees, suppliers and animal welfare.

The reputational damage was so complete that even radical changes to menus and the active integration of social and environmental factors into the business model failed to alter many people's view.

Present times offer a chance to showcase how things have moved on (already our survey shows that 67 per cent of concerned consumers, which is a 10 per cent rise on 2007, believe fast food can be good for you). If a brand like McDonald's can demonstrate how things have changed to people entering one of its restaurants for the first time in a long time, not only will they feel better about eating there when they are forced to, they are also more likely to carry on visiting when they are not. For some companies, this recession may be just the tonic to help to heal old reputational wounds.

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