How ScottsMiracle-Gro transforms into a lifestyle brand with the help of AI.

ScottsMiracle-Gro, the leading marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products in North America, has been a household name for generations with brands such as Scotts, Miracle-Gro, Tomcat and Ortho. But for Aditya Sankarabhotla, Director of AI and Machine Learning at the company, that legacy presented both an opportunity and a challenge.

"We're a 157-year-old company, but this is the time where we need to make that leapfrog to really reposition ourselves for the future and the next generation of consumers," Aditya explains. This reflects President and COO Nate Baxter’s vision of evolving from what many perceived as a chemical company providing fertilizers and other products into a modern lifestyle brand that helps people enjoy their lawns, gardens and green spaces.

This transformation includes an evolution of the product portfolio to include more natural and organic ingredients, expansion of ecommerce channels and an enhancement of the company’s entire digital footprint to reach more emerging consumers where they shop and go for information. It's a fundamental reimagining of how ScottsMiracle-Gro shows up for its consumers. At the heart of this shift is an AI agent powered by Sierra that provides expert guidance on lawn and garden care while creating greater opportunities to drive consumer sales conversions across the company’s digital platform.

Build vs. buy: choosing the right foundation

ScottsMiracle-Gro initially set out to build their own conversational AI platform from scratch. The team made significant progress, even launching an early version for internal sales associates. But they quickly realised they were tackling two massive challenges simultaneously: building a platform and delivering consumer experiences.

"When you actually set out to build your own chatbot, you're not only building and responsible for consumers’ journeys, but you also have to build and maintain a product or a platform,” Aditya explains. “And we were not set up to do both."

The requirements kept mounting — red teaming, responsible AI detection, SOC 2 certification, and ongoing platform enhancements. Ultimately, the team made a strategic pivot: partner with a best-of-breed platform provider and focus internal resources on what they do best — creating exceptional consumer experiences.

"We made a decision: let's focus on the end journeys and experiences. Let's see who's out there to give us that platform base that deals with enhancements, making sure all the architecture is state-of-the-art," says Aditya. That's when the company discovered Sierra.

Becoming the trusted source with intelligent recommendations

As ScottsMiracle-Gro prepared for its rebrand, the team recognised that next-generation consumers — especially Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha — expect more than products. They want education, authenticity, and guidance. Their AI agent, powered by Sierra, became central to delivering on that expectation.

"We want to establish ScottsMiracle-Gro as the ultimate source of information," says Aditya. "For anything related to lawn care and gardening — we want people to know the industry’s most trusted source is ScottsMiracleGro.com."

Deployed across all the brand’s digital pages, the agent serves as a knowledgeable companion, helping customers troubleshoot pest problems, understand grass types, get the latest gardening tips, and plan backyard projects using content curated by the company's marketing and R&D experts.

But providing accurate guidance isn't just about convenience. For a company whose products can literally make a garden, it's essential. Earlier experiments with standard language models had revealed critical problems. For example, they might recommend lawn products for gardens or prevention products when consumers need treatment solutions.

"It's risky because you might burn your entire lawn if you apply the incorrect product," Aditya explains.

Sierra's platform gave ScottsMiracle-Gro the control and intelligence they needed. The agent now engages customers in meaningful back-and-forth conversations before making recommendations: "What is your grass type? What is your intention? In what region do you live? Do you want to grow thicker grass, kill weeds or prevent problems?"

This careful, consultative approach reflects the expertise consumers would expect from an in-store associate — but available 24/7 across their digital experience.

From support to sales

What started as a consumer service initiative quickly revealed broader potential. "From day one, I had a vision that it should not be just limited to consumer services," says Aditya. "It can also be designed and defined to generate revenue."

That vision is materializing. Consumers now receive personalised product recommendations through the AI agent and can click through to their cart to complete purchases.

After adding curated content and knowledge, ScottsMiracle-Gro saw their containment rates jump from 40% to 65%. But for Aditya, this is just the beginning of the journey. The team now uses Sierra's platform to continuously identify where consumers need more support, allowing them to quickly add content and capabilities that address those gaps — accelerating their ability to serve consumers better over time.

Looking ahead

As ScottsMiracle-Gro transitions to a lifestyle brand, the Sierra agent will evolve alongside it — infused with the company's refreshed voice and positioned as a trusted guide for anyone looking to create harmony with their outdoor spaces.

"We want to be that companion who helps them lead a life in harmony with their lawns and gardens," says Aditya.

And the ambitions don't stop there. The team envisions project planning capabilities that could help consumers design raised beds, provide multi-modal experiences that let the agent see what consumers are seeing, and include voice integration that makes conversations even more natural.

Technology isn't just supporting the company’s shift — it's helping to define what that transformation looks like to consumers every day.