Through newspaper ads, e-mail blasts, videos, old-fashioned letters and even authoritative interviews, officials in the banking and investment industries have been working overtime in recent weeks to project the stability that has often been lacking on Wall Street.

A recent Gallup poll found Americans' faith in U.S. banks had fallen, with 32 percent expressing a lot of confidence. That was down 9 percentage points from June 2007.

"There's an awful lot of fear out there right now," said William Wagner, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Northwest Savings Bank, which recently took out ads and sent letters to customers assuring them the Warren-based bank is a strong, safe place to keep your money.

Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services took advantage of its new in-branch digital network to produce targeted daily messages that discuss how the institution's services are well-suited to the latest events. Meanwhile, its executives have been seen, heard and read in the media discussing the economic upheaval.

"There's a lot of interest. There's a lot of questions," said Mark Hendrix, PNC executive vice president and director of corporate marketing.

Experts at Federated Investors, who have seen customer service call volume rise 30 percent in recent weeks, are posting regular commentaries on the company's Web site even as the organization last month began pushing out details on its fund holdings more rapidly than usual so clients didn't have to wait for once-monthly postings as the markets seesawed daily.

"In this sort of era of transparency, we have tried to be more open," explained J.T. Tuskan, spokesman for the Pittsburgh investment management firm.

All those tactics count as marketing and they all matter right now, according to advertising industry executives.

Consumers like seeing their financial institutions looking competent, said Bryan Ward, chief executive officer of Downtown ad agency Giant Ideas. In the midst of unprecedented events -- especially at such times -- customers do not feel reassured when a company pulls back into its shell.

"You get out there on the street, get your name out there and look responsive," was his advice to those marketing through the financial tumult.

Keeping reassurances as general as possible is fine, Mr. Ward said, because in this market nobody really know what's going to happen next. It would be bad to make a promise that turned out to be wrong later.

Brian Bronaugh, president and executive creative director with Strip District agency Mullen, praised the tone many banks have taken. "Preaching that message of stability is smart," he said, noting he's among those who've become wary of what the economy will do next.

Marketing teams seem to be threading more than one theme through their communications. There's the "it's the other guys not us" message as epitomized by New York Life's "We're Main Street. Not Wall Street."

That tone is also part of a communications tool kit the American Bankers Association has provided members to explain how a commercial bank might be fine even as an investment bank stumbles. Mr. Wagner, at Northwest Savings Bank, suggested the media hasn't done enough to explain the difference.

Of course, each institution has its own story on issues such as the subprime mortgages that have caused so many losses. Both Citizens and PNC regularly emphasize their avoidance of subprime deals. Cleveland-based National City, which has been the focus of regular buyout rumors, did get hurt by that market.

Then there's the sales pitch, sometimes subtle and sometimes more overt.

A recent T. Rowe Price Investment Services ad promoting its tax-free bond funds included this text: "With recent market volatility, it's more important than ever to choose a bond provider carefully." Or readers might have seen this copy: "Every market holds the potential for opportunity. That's where Janus research comes in."

For banks, too, there's opportunity in being the place people turn to in times of trouble. Citizens Bank spokesman Mike Jones said his institution's strategy is to be on the offensive. The bank took out large newspaper ads recently to deliver the message, "It's business as usual, even in this unusual environment."

The ad, he said, serves as a platform for Citizens to use this environment to talk to consumers about their banking relationships and fits well with a promotion begun in the spring that offers individual financial check-ups. About 1.5 million customers have participated in the program since February. "We view this atmosphere as a time that we can grow our business," Mr. Jones said.

The ad's calming message also worked well when the bank's overseas parent, Royal Bank of Scotland, stirred up talk this week as a result of an effort to improve its liquidity by selling new shares of stock to the public and the British government.

PNC, too, has made the headlines. The company yesterday reported a hefty drop in earnings compared to same period last year. Certain assets dropped in value as a results of the economic problems but officials reiterated that they're in good shape.

PNC is taking advantage of the distraction of some competitors to pick up accounts. The bank said new checking relationships rose 35 percent in the third quarter over the same period last year and corporate banking relationships are up over a year ago, too.

"We're going to stay focused," said Mr. Hendrix. "We're going to continue to be proactive."