By John Eckberg
Enquirer staff writer

Marievee Santana, senior sensory scientist for Procter & Gamble, says scent works at the subconscious level and triggers perceptions, memories and emotions. Not so subtle is this bottle of Intense by Hugo Boss. The Enquirer/MEGGAN BOOKER

Worried about a stalled climb up the corporate ladder, waning respect from colleagues or weakening career prospects?

Perhaps it's time for a splash of cologne, aftershave or perfume - your boss' favorite fragrance might be a good place to start - and then wait for the sweet smell of success.

A new study from Suave Naturals suggests that many people believe aromas in the workplace may be important for career fulfillment, at least as a supplement to talent and on-the-job performance.

The study of 800 women found that two of three working women believe their favorite perfume - their signature scent - has helped their career.

Three of 10 Southern women who responded to the survey believe their perfume has had a profound effect on how they are viewed by their superiors.

DO SCENTS MAKE SENSE?

Considering a new scent for your work place? Be careful, advises Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, a physician and neurological director of the Chicago-based Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. A bum scent can bring unexpected results. And there is no doubt aromas have a powerful impact on people. "The center has 85 active studies on the effect of scents on behavior," Hirsch said. Some studies are conclusive. For instance, a 1996 experiment with slot machines in Las Vegas found that a scent introduced into an area of a casino led to a 53 percent increase in wagering compared with a weekend before and a weekend after when there was no scent. Odors can be sublime. "Lavender tends to increase alpha waves in the brain and make people more relaxed," Hirsch said. "Jasmine increases beta waves, and that makes people more alert," he said. Other findings from the foundation's studies include: • Green apple or cucumber aromas tend to relieve the claustrophobic impact of cubicles. • Mixed floral scents can increase the speed of learning. • Vanilla reduces anxiety, perhaps because it reminds people of childhood and cookies baking. • Peppermint and citrus act as stimulants and relieve fatigue. Hirsch says a company that wants a sexier atmosphere should consider blending the aromas of jasmine and pumpkin pie, or have the scent of doughnuts and black licorice waft together. Do it at your own peril, he warns, because it will change employee behavior. "I'll say this: I would not have pumpkin pie at the work site," Hirsch said. John Eckberg

"Really, it makes a lot of sense," said Dr. Alan Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, based in Chicago. Hirsch was the physician who analyzed results from the Suave survey, which had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

"You are how you smell. If you smell good, people think you're good. If you smell bad, people think you're bad. Smell may be the most powerful way that people decide whether they like somebody or not."

Allison Dubbs, director of public relations at Freedman, Gibson & White, a marketing/communications company based in downtown Cincinnati, doubts perfume has as much impact on a woman's career as "talent, brains, skills and hard work."

Still, "there are a lot of reasons why people may feel at their peak - and for some, perfume is part of the package."

Whether aromas can turbocharge a career may be open to debate, but the size of the global perfume market suggests Americans are paying attention.

In 2003, U.S. department stores posted $2.8 billion in revenue from prestige perfume sales, according to the NPD Group, a marketing information company based in Port Washington, N.Y.

While go-getters might claim that pleasing scents do not boost careers, few would argue that bad smells don't help. A 2002 study by Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. that surveyed 400 human resource managers found an employee's unpleasant body odor may blister a career.

One in three HR managers said they had to speak to an employee about body odor, and 83 percent found the conversation to be "incredibly uncomfortable," the study found.

Marievee Santana, senior sensory scientist for Procter & Gamble, said scent works at the subconscious level of the brain and triggers perceptions, memories and emotions. "The same area of the brain that processes fragrances and odors is connected to the area of the brain that processes memories," Santana said.

Mark Radlinski, production coordinator for Wild Berry Incense Inc., an incense manufacturer and distributor based in Oxford that sells products through nearly 3,000 outlets worldwide, has no doubt that perfume packs power.

He wears no scent, he said, but that may be because he's worked with scents day-in and day-out for more than a decade.

"Everything I have is unscented. I don't necessarily want to smell a fragrance. People who are overly fragrant are not very pleasing to me," Radlinski said.

"But in this country, scent as part of the total appearance package is a factor, and personal grooming habits have a significant impact on upward mobility. And I think that wearing a scent is a major part of that."

Enough is enough

If scent is an essential, Ron DeLyons urges moderation.

DeLyons said he has exited left ahead of his floor because the aroma from colognes and perfumes from the ladder-climbers in his downtown office building is simply too much.

Chief executive of Creekwood Advisors, a boutique investment bank in downtown Cincinnati that specializes in financing, developing and creating minority owned businesses, DeLyons thinks many others share his feelings that less is more when it comes to fragrances.

"It's unfortunate that more people don't understand the concept of moderation," DeLyons said. "I'm as tolerant as the next guy, but sometimes it is just unbearable. There is an advantage to cleanliness, as opposed to camouflage."

What people must keep in mind, said researcher Hirsch, is that aromas are all about first impressions and an aroma, in moderation, may be the most powerful way to make that impression.

"There are two ways that odor can make an impact," Hirsch said. "Wear something others like and they'll like you; and if it's an aroma you like, that may make you feel more self-confident, and you will portray yourself in more positive light."

P&G's Santana recently bought Hugo Boss Intense and found that her mood swings with the fragrance. "If confidence is emotion, it's possible that fragrance will help you feel more confident," she said. "I have to tell you that when I wear that, it changes my mood and changes the way I behave outside and inside the workplace. I feel more confident."

Quality product

Eric Weissmann, vice president and Cincinnati affiliate marketing director at Fifth Third Bank, believes a scent can make a difference in any office or work setting - but only if it's a quality product.

"I have yet to run into anyone in senior management at Fifth Third who reeks of Drakkar," Weissmann said. "However, a subtle, clean, crisp scent can add immeasurably to the aura or charisma of an individual."

Email jeckberg@enquirer.com