ScottsMiracle-Gro has introduced a new AI-driven assistant utilizing Google Cloud Vertex AI, designed to offer product suggestions and gardening guidance.
ScottsMiracle-Gro offers a wide range of consumer products for lawn and garden care, available at major home improvement centers, hardware stores, and various retail outlets across the country. The company's in-store field sales associates are essential in educating both retail partners and consumers about product selection, usage, and related topics due to the extensive nature of its offerings.
Historically, sales associates depended on a comprehensive 450-page training manual for product information. However, the introduction of a new AI-powered agent has transformed this process, enabling associates to access real-time product information via mobile devices.
Users can pose questions in natural language and receive detailed insights and recommendations, which can be directly communicated to retail partners or consumers. For instance, an associate can inquire about the most suitable products for a specific season or a consumer's particular growing conditions. Consequently, ScottsMiracle-Gro sales associates are now better equipped to offer customers more relevant product suggestions and guidance, enhancing the overall customer experience.
“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, Information Technology, 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.”
ScottsMiracle-Gro is not only utilizing Google Cloud Vertex AI and Gemini models but is also taking advantage of various other Google Cloud services, such as Google Workspace, to enhance work mobility, productivity, and innovation throughout its workforce.