Western New York banks are taking the offensive to counter a wave of negativity and worry, seeking to reassure local customers that banks here are strong, well-capitalized and safe for their money.

In recent days and weeks, area financial institutions have launched mass advertising campaigns, proactively sent out letters to customers and responded to a multitude of questions from consumers about the safety of their banks and deposits.

In doing so, they're trying to assuage customer concerns that local banks might be facing the same kind of trouble that has brought down the titans of the industry. And they're hoping to head off the kind of consumer panic and mass withdrawals -- sometimes based solely on rumor -- that can

quickly cascade into disaster.

"There's a lot of concern. People have a lot of questions about what's going on," said Bill Freeman, first vice president and marketing director at First Niagara, whose "We Believe in You" campaign also tries to underscore that consumers can believe in the bank. "There's the assumption out there that everyone is caught up in this, and that's not the case."

Indeed, such a run on deposits is what brought down giant Washington Mutual of Seattle late last month and IndyMac Bancorp of California earlier this year.

"It's important for us to reassure our clients in this challenging economic environment, and advertising is one way to get the message out," said Shelly Van Dusen, spokeswoman for KeyCorp, which just took out a full-page ad in The Buffalo News and other daily newspapers throughout its 13-state banking footprint.

At the same time, they're using the opportunity to tout their own stories, reiterate their strategies and philosophies, and cite the advantages that have kept them more immune from the current troubles.

"Thanks to a long barrage of national news stories, bank customers are uncertain and confused," said Jim Holding, spokesman for Northwest Bancorp, the Warren, Pa.-based parent of Northwest Savings Bank, whose ad mirrors a letter sent to customers in August. "We feel that telling our story ourselves may help reassure them. We don't like it when our customers are upset."

And that becomes a springboard for them to offer new products or services to meet customers' changing needs.

"In challenging economic times, consumers want to hear from their financial institution," said Joseph Goode, spokesman for Bank of America Corp., which this week began using ads touting its strength and safety over the next month.