Spring for a Great Lawn

Spring for a Great Lawn

Simplifying lawn care and maintenance for consumers

scottsmiracle-Gro has long been known for fertilizers and grass seed that have helped consumers to maintain lush, green lawns. After 150 years, the company retains its market leadership.

Among the key drivers to its success: A commitment to high-quality, dependable products, coupled with consistent investments in innovation and lawn care products.

“We’re focused on providing simple, easyto-use solutions that enable consumers to achieve a great lawn on their terms,” says Josh Peoples, Vice President and General manager of the lawns business. “that goes for consumers who have long relied upon our brands, as well as those who are new to home ownership and the whole notion of effective lawn care.”

Peoples says company research has shown that a barrier to consumers taking a more proactive approach with their lawns lies in potential confusion over which products to use and when, as well as a perception that it can be time-consuming and costly. scottsmiracle-Gro is making lawn care as understandable as it is convenient, affordable and effective.

“We’ve evolved immensely in how we communicate and connect with consumers,” People says. “It’s built on four key consumercentric approaches.”

these approaches are: • Educate consumers on the value of safe and effective lawn care. • Provide simple and easy-to-understand guidance on how to succeed with lawn care.

innovAtive firsts

Scotts was the first consumer company to begin working with the USDA on reaction methylene urea fertilizers in the 1940s. This led to the introduction of the first controlled-release conventional fertilizer. • make it easier than ever to use scotts® lawn products. • make it easier for consumers to find and buy scotts lawn products.

this has manifested itself in many ways, with 2018 being a huge innovation year for lawn care. An example is the expansion this year of the scotts Annual Program, which involves the application of four different fertilizers in early spring, late spring, summer and fall. Consumers can purchase the program at local retail stores or order online to be shipped directly to them.

scottsmiracle-Gro has also launched thick’R lawn, an all-in-one solution for thinning and weak lawns that includes soil improver, fertilizer and grass seed in one application. Plus, the new triple Action line for northern climates includes weed preventer, weed killer and lawn food.

1946 Research becomes a full-time division, making Scotts the first commercial organization to dedicate a team to turfgrass research. 1953 Scotts’ automated electronic seed processing plant—the industry’s first—is built.

on the technology front, the company is helping consumers realize more efficient and effective use of water in addition to educating them on how best to maintain their lawns for maximum results. this year’s new Gro® line is a platform that creates a “connected yard” via sensors, irrigation systems and a mobile app.

“People increasingly are adopting the smart home, where they can use a mobile device to control everything from thermostats to tVs, appliances and blinds,” Peoples says. “the outside of the home now is paralleling what is occurring inside the home.”

scottsmiracle-Gro has a history of innovation with spreader designs aimed at ensuring efficient application of products. to this end, it is rolling out the scotts Elite spreader, its most accurate ever.

these 2018 product launches augment the many lawn care solutions that scottsmiracleGro has pioneered and sells today, all with the goal of providing homeowners the highest-quality, most-trusted products to have the lawn they want. m

innovAtive firsts

The first consumer spreader allowed homeowners to apply seed and fertilizer evenly for better results in the 1930s. Management consultant and author Peter Drucker called it the greatest innovation in the industry because it enabled practical, large-area turf management.

1957 The company revolutionizes lawn feeding with Trionized Turf Builder—the first product to use new technology for controlled-release nitrogen—following the construction of a new manufacturing plant the year prior.