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Unlike more general advertising campaigns in previous years, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.'s new $1.6 million effort gets specific about why companies should relocate here.

The print and digital ads provide statistics around three themes, the forces WEDC says are driving the state's economy: workforce, taxes and infrastructure.

"These are three things I consistently hear about — 'will you nickel and dime us every time there's a budget crisis, what is my access to transportation and can I find the right people to work at my company." said Ryan Murray, the agency's deputy secretary and chief operating officer.

So for example, the first ads, which address Wisconsin's skilled workforce, tout the $150 million Gov. Scott Walker's administration says it has invested in worker training.

According to WEDC, the biggest components of that total are $84.3 million in new workforce spending in Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's 2013-'15 budget and $31 million in state and federal funds for the FoodShare Employment and Training program.

The tax-themed ads say that during Walker's first term, legislatures passed nearly $2 billion of tax relief. The infrastructure ads say the state Transportation Department has invested more than $6 billion into improvements.

The ads will run through June, mostly in Wisconsin and in border states and business publications, said Kelly Lietz, WEDC's vice president of marketing and communications.

WEDC spent about $2 million on last year's ad campaign, $400,000 more than this year, but that shouldn't result in less robust results, Lietz said.

"We went from TV to radio and scaled back on broadcast because Google is working for us, and we can be much more efficient through online engagements," he said.

Three of the state's top industries — energy, water technology and medical technology — are also highlighted in the ads, WEDC said.

Old standards like beer and cows also make an appearance. But to address what WEDC says is many business people's frustration with such stereotypes, the campaign also touts the modern version of each: beer has led to biotech and the water cluster; cows to energy.

"We think it will be attention-grabbing, to acknowledge our heritage and where we're going," Murray said.