Noted writer Lakshmi Chaudhry wrote a compellingly blistering piece about the UGC generation in The Nation that was published in late January and had portions featured in other publications.

This should be required reading for anyone attempting to market a brand on a UGC site. Marketers must remain vigilant about the safety of their brands when entering the murky waters of user-generated video, and not just because the users generating the video are -- at least by and large -- going to be narcissists.

So, when encountering a YouTube channel that features all kinds of Jeeps navigating all kinds of treacherous terrain, the last lesson for this In Focus is one of restraint. Watch as many of the videos in this channel as you have time to watch, and see if it’s akin to watching a car crash-- you almost can’t pull yourself away.

Interestingly, there is no attempt here to monetize the section by Jeep’s brand managers. Good for them. I’m not naïve enough to think that there are no postings in this section by people paid by Jeep. After all, each of these rock climbing attempts seems to succeed, right? But, paying for such placements or driving them through what would be an entirely new kind of PR will have to be an In Focus for another day.