I just ran across this new study done by BizReport about how important Reputation and Brand Management is. Here is a direct quote from the article:

“Around 84% of consumers surveyed by Brand Reputation said that, compared with one year ago, they were more likely to search the Internet for reviews before making a purchase.”

When one consumer can destroy your entire reputation with a couple of hours of free time, it is more important than ever to control the first few pages of Google for your Brand and Product key phrases.