Consumers are increasingly in financial institutions' sights these days as a number of them either rebrand or roll out new branch networks.

Three in particular are on all-out offensives, or soon will be, to lure new customers.

National Irish Bank's understated rebranding begins in earnest in comingweeks, with its new owner . . . Denmark's Danske Bank . . . surprising many with its decision to retain a name which arguably has built a reputation for all the wrong reasons. Overcharging and offshore accounts drew it into tribunals and scandal, but the Danes have decided to keep the name.

National Irish Bank's new logo will mirror that of the Danske operation, with the same typeface being used.

Danske chief Peter Straarup is understood to have felt that changing NIB's name would be to run away from its past . . . a race some may have thought worth it.

Instead he wants to focus on reestablishing trust and reliability. Business at the bank is improving even before the relaunch, with NIB's loan book having surged to 4.4bn, up 44%, in 2005.

But competitors such as Royal Bank of Scotlandowned Ulster Bank, are also hitting on consumers who are becoming increasingly savvy in the light of headlinegrabbing 'rip-off ' Ireland stories.

Ray Sheerin, managing director of ad agency Chemistry which is responsible for the current Ulster Bank television advertising, believes that one of the first obstacles to overcome is the level of cynicism that has been established among consumers here, something he describes as "bank rage".

"Secondly, I think there's the multi-banking phenomenon, " he said. "Banking institutions no longer have a cradle to the grave relationship with consumers. They might have their mortgage with one bank, their pension with another and so on. You have to try and attract the customer for a particular part of the offering."

Trying to get consumers to make that change requires simple messages, perhaps more so in banking which has the potential for immense complexity. Not surprisingly, Sheerin argues that Chemistry's campaign for Ulster Bank fits the bill.

"They need to be made memorable. You have to make things as clear and as singleminded as you possibly can.

There's no point in telling them what all the features of a particular product are because they just don't often care."

Edel O'Leary, head of marketing and communications as Ulster Bank, agrees. "We have to start talking to people in a way that they expect other retail and FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) brands to talk to them."

Jamie Kennedy, spokesman for Bank of Scotland (Ireland), which is currently rolling out a 46-outlet branch network, also believes that banking advertisements have had to change to snag customers.

"We talked to a lot of customer focus groups and did a lot of research which drove how we manufactured our products and how we sell them, " he said.

"With our mortgage advertising we're able to say that if you move to us, you'll save a certain amount a month, and it's a very clear message.

Many people who have mortgages don't even know what rate they're on, so you can focus on the savings they can make rather than the rate.

Conversely, people who are saving money may be a bit more financially aware and so they would want to know what the interest rate is."

It has been made easier for people to switch their accounts and people voted with their feet. It was estimated that 2005 could have seen about 20,000 people switch to a new bank. However, it often remains a challenge for banks to persuade consumers to change the habits of a lifetime.

"It's a bit like newspapers, " said Steve Shanahan, chief executive of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI). "It can be hard to break buying habits."

"In certain services there are always a loyal core of customers that probably account for 80% of most of a brand's business and once they've got in, it's very hard to get them out. That reflects the banking market."

Chris Cawley. , who is managing director at agency Cawley Nea/TBWA, which is currently working with National Irish Bank argues that bank advertising does not exist in a vacuum.

"Maybe the most important part of the brand is how the consumer experiences the banking service, " he said.

"That's unlike advertising, say beer, where you're trying to create an identity and persona for the brand."

Expect the newly polished players to make much of a song and dance in the coming months, while AIB, Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB are unlikely to let them have a free run in marketing themselves to customers.

Only time will tell whether a marketing winner will emerge from all the banking noise.