While companies like PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Co. are able to devote millions of dollars in resources to develop and enhance a social media presence, most entrepreneurial beverage companies are faced with an extremely limited budget for any kind of marketing or advertising, much less a focused plan of attack online. However, there are some affordable options available to small companies looking to reach the growing number of socially savvy consumers.

New Leaf Brands has outlined a series of new cost cutting initiatives and reiterated plans to expand business operations via the acquisition of “brands, distributors and co-packers in our industry,” as part of its restructuring and turnaround efforts. While the company continues to face an upward struggle toward profitability, CEO David Fuselier stated that the company is attempting to reduce supply chain and corporate operating costs, and new strategic partnerships.

Months of regulatory pounding have begun to take their toll on the energy drink category, as sales growth has begun to slow, although the category does remain one of the most vital in beverage overall.

Ex Drinks is an ex-beverage company… at least in the U.S. On Friday, the company, which marketed a range of functional beverages, announced that it would cease sales in the U.S. The company notified BevNET and other business contacts of the news via a short e-mail, which offered no specific details on the decision.

AriZona Beverages can breathe a sigh of relief now that a federal judge has tossed out a long-running class-action lawsuit claiming that the company misrepresents its products as “all-natural.” In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg decertified the class of consumers in the suit and stated that the plaintiffs did not introduce any evidence to prove their allegations that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and citric acid are artificial ingredients.

Within the world of small startups, my ideal is the two-person shop, where you get the healthy push and pull of competing viewpoints but still keep the overhead miniscule. And if you look out on the field of entrepreneurial brands, two-person partnerships are legion.