ScottsMiracle-Gro partners with Google to harness AI
The ScottsMiracle-Gro Company and Google Cloud have forged a new collaboration to help transform the lawn and garden company's customer experience using generative AI (gen AI). As part of the partnership, ScottsMiracle-Gro introduced an AI agent built on Google Cloud Vertex AI that functions as a "gardening sommelier" to provide tailored gardening advice and product recommendations.
ScottsMiracle-Gro is currently testing the app in an internal pilot program and plans to roll it out to its team of more than 1,000 field sales associates next month in advance of peak lawn and garden season. Upon further development and testing with the sales team, the company intends to eventually introduce the app directly to consumers.
Traditionally, ScottsMiracle-Gro sales associates have relied on a 450-page training document for product information. The new AI-powered agent, however, is accessible on a mobile device and allows associates to access product information in real time. Users ask questions in natural language prompts and receive detailed product knowledge and advice that they can then share directly to in-store retail partners or consumers. For example, an associate can ask questions about which products are most appropriate based on the season and a consumer's unique growing environment. As a result, ScottsMiracle-Gro sales associates are now empowered to provide customers with more meaningful product recommendations and advice to improve the overall customer experience, per the company.
"At ScottsMiracle-Gro, we want to offer our retail partners and consumers the best lawn and garden products coupled with the best advice. Google's powerful gen AI solutions provide us with an incredible opportunity to reinvent how people engage with our brands and learn about our products," said Emily Wahl, vice president of information technology for ScottsMiracle-Gro. "In short, Google Cloud delivers a real competitive advantage for us."
"ScottsMiracle-Gro is demonstrating the power of gen AI to reinvent customer journeys," said Carrie Tharp, vice president, solutions & industries, Google Cloud. "ScottsMiracle-Gro was able to quickly deploy its new AI-powered customer agent, empowering employees and enhancing both retail partner and consumer experiences."
In addition to Google Cloud Vertex AI and Gemini models, ScottsMiracle-Gro continues to leverage other Google Cloud services, including Google Workspace to drive work mobility, productivity and innovation across its workforce, according to the company.
