ements , ▁att rib uting ▁the ▁green ▁mess aging ▁to ▁corpor ate ▁self - inter est . ▁Green ▁advert ising ▁can ▁back fire ▁and ▁is ▁perce ived ▁neg atively ▁especially ▁when ▁the ▁advert is ement ▁or ▁environmental ▁claim ▁does ▁not ▁match ▁a ▁company ’ s ▁actual ▁environmental ▁eng agement . ▁ ▁Imp lications ▁for ▁Green ▁Business ▁ ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁research ers ▁working ▁with ▁consumer ▁per ception , ▁psych ology , ▁and ▁green w ash ing ▁note ▁that ▁in ▁order ▁for ▁companies ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁negative ▁con not ations ▁and ▁per ception s ▁of ▁green w ash ing , ▁companies ▁should ▁‘ walk ▁the ▁walk ’ ▁when ▁it ▁comes ▁to ▁green ▁advert ising ▁and ▁green ▁behavior . ▁Green ▁market ing , ▁label ing , ▁and ▁advert ising ▁is ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁most ▁effective ▁when ▁it ▁matches ▁a ▁company ’ s ▁actual ▁environmental ▁eng agement . ▁This ▁is ▁also ▁medi ated ▁by ▁the ▁visibility ▁of ▁those ▁environmental ▁engag ements , ▁meaning ▁that ▁if ▁consum ers ▁are ▁una ware ▁of ▁a ▁company ’ s ▁commit ment ▁to ▁sust ain ability ▁or ▁environment ally - cons cious ▁eth os , ▁they ▁are ▁unable ▁to ▁factor ▁gre enn ess ▁in ▁their ▁assess ment ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁or ▁product . ▁ ▁The ▁Lim its ▁of ▁Green w ash ing ▁on ▁Cons umer ▁Per ception ▁ ▁Research ▁suggests ▁that ▁consum ers ’ ▁willing ness ▁to ▁purchase ▁green ▁decre ases ▁when ▁they ▁perce ive ▁the ▁green ▁attributes ▁comprom ise ▁the ▁product ▁quality , ▁making ▁green w ash ing ▁potentially ▁ris