The Maximize Minot committee of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce held a news conference Thursday to kick off the campaign. One of the promotional elements seeks to get the public involved by having them take photos of themselves with MINOT letters that will be strategically moved around the different locations in the city in coming weeks. People are encouraged to put themselves in the place of the “I” and post the photos on the Maximize Minot Facebook page to show their support.

“One thing we wanted to do was engage the public in this effort. It’s your way of showing pride in Minot,” said committee member Candace Brekke.

It’s also a way to acknowledge that individual effort does make a difference, she said.

Maximize means to make the most use of, so it’s not just shopping local but using the services of local professionals and contractors or supporting the educational and health systems in Minot, according to the committee.

Jill Schramm/MDN John MacMartin, president of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce, poses with a letter from the Maximize Minot campaign. People are being encouraged to photograph themselves with the letters.

“Maximize Minot is a concept indicating that your needs can be met locally. Maximize Minot will help instill pride in the Minot community,” MacMartin said. “Local for us means any storefront in the Minot area, large or small. Maximize Minot really is a more holistic approach. We need to support locally based businesses that can be engaged to provide products, people, services or talent.”

Local business pay salaries and invest in the community, contributing to the sales tax base, MacMartin said. Business profits show up back in the community in a number of places, including fundraising for community projects such as the children’s discovery museum or cat exhibit at the zoo, he said.

“Those investments in Minot’s future help fuel additional community pride but would not be possible without those companies being profitable,” he said.

One of the campaign’s efforts will be to create a local directory of business with online presences and show people who enjoy shopping online how they can use the online experience to complement their local experiences. MacMartin explained it might mean checking out a Minot bridal store’s offerings online to narrow the choices before coming in to try on attire and receive personalized service.

Maximize Minot will center its campaign on social media and the involvement of chamber members to get people talking about its message. MacMartin said the committee will be continuing to meet and roll out ideas.