10 Resolutions for Entrepreneurs in 2012

6. Hone your advertising.
VeeV Acai Spirits co-founders Carter and Courtney Reum are brothers who left Wall Street jobs to focus on creating the first acai liquor brand (also the first liquor brand to be certified carbon neutral).

The 3-year-old company generated nearly $5 million in sales for 2011, more than doubling from the year before, helped by a major national advertising campaign that supported its rollout.

But this year, the company has decided to concentrate on more grassroots strategic marketing as opposed to generalized advertising in top liquor markets.

One strategy is by using geo-targeted marketing.

VeeV saw success with this strategy when it partnered with Ruby Tuesday(RT) eateries last year. The company decided to advertise in the chain's top markets -- which were not necessarily VeeV's top markets -- to support its so-called on-premise (within hotels and restaurants) rollout.

"It was very successful," a VeeV spokesman says. "Both on-premise sales and brand awareness in those markets increased," which ultimately supported sales at retailers in the new markets.

"It's a much more strategic spend to support sales where they need it versus brand sales in a buzzy market," the spokesman says. "They're looking to do more focused campaigns versus broad campaigns. Traditionally [the strategy with] a young brand that is growing is to let everybody know about it everywhere in the most influential markets, but VeeV's approach is much more grassroots -- here's where we really need to support growth."

The strategy to do only targeted marketing could be particularly effective for small businesses that have tight budgets but are looking to expand.

VeeV is about to be distributed in another national restaurant chain in early 2012. The company declined to disclose which, but the marketing strategy is to be similar to the one with Ruby Tuesday.