Consider this, you are interested in purchasing a new exterior hard drive for your computer.  You know nothing about them.  What is more important to you - the brand or the reputation? 

Try this, you would like to purchase something from Company A, but you frequently see their products in close-out stores.  Would you still purchase the item?  What if you saw excellent recommendations on an industry website about that product?  Would you feel better about the quality of the item? 

In other words, is the idea of a "brand" beginning to be superimposed by what people say about a company or its product.  Is reputation the new brand?

Consumers are actively encouraged to voice their opinions on products and services today.  This happens in personal blogs, industry sites, and user groups.  These consumer experience postings directly affect a companies market position and in fact, I would argue that a good or bad recommendation can trump a brand any day of the week. 

The combination of complex product functionality, large numbers of product choices, marketing skepticism, and lack of trust in corporate veracity creates an environment where consumers will believe what they read on an Internet blog before they will a company's claims.  Organizations that want to grab more market share may be well served to nurture a user community that actively promotes their product in their daily communications.   Just consider the success of Apple and the focus they have always placed on their user experience.

The degradation of brand is a function of an increasingly skeptical, sophisticated, and informed consumer.  The importance of information in the form of opinion, may be the next phase of the branding experience.