Abstract: In the current social context characterized by the coexistence of globalization and multiculturalism, dialects, as linguistic variants, play a significant role in advertising and marketing. Dialect stereotypes refer to people's fixed and generalized cognitive evaluations of dialects, which are inherently complex and multidimensional, unconsciously influencing individuals' attitudes and behaviors toward dialect advertisements. There persists a systematic gap in addressing three critical questions: (1) What is the concrete meaning of dialect stereotypes, (2) how dialect stereotypes affect the persuasive effectiveness of advertisements across different theoretical perspectives, and (3) what specific boundary conditions moderate these effects.
First, this paper commences by precisely defining dialects and related concepts such as accents, colloquialisms, jargon, internet slang, and phonetic variations. Next, it systematically elaborates dialect stereotypes through three core dimensions: (a) linguistic features that cover phonological patterns, lexical choices, phrasal structures, and pragmatic conventions; (b) user image constituted by status, solidarity, and dynamism; and (c) social culture manifested through regional identity shaping, emotional resonance intensification, local culture representation, and character persona formation, which collectively delineate the research scope of dialects and their stereotypes in advertising. Then, building upon four theoretical frameworks—markedness theory, dual process theory, social identity theory, and spatial presence—the paper thoroughly explores the underlying mechanisms of dialect stereotype effects in advertising and reveals hierarchical differences in explanatory level and focus. Specifically, markedness theory, rooted in dialect linguistic features, emphasizes how the markedness of dialect advertisements influences consumer expectation levels, with particular attention to advertisement comprehensibility and memorability. Dual process theory focuses on speaker image, detailing the distinct roles of system 1 (automatic processing) and system 2 (controlled processing) in enhancing brand awareness and advertisement credibility. Social identity theory addresses the cultural connotations of dialects and users' identity, highlighting cognitive and affective responses such as in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination. Spatial presence concerns how dialect linguistic and cultural attributes synergistically create immersive experiences that shape product authenticity perceptions and consumer experience. Concurrently, the paper clarifies the explanatory boundaries of these theories and analyzes five moderating factors: consumers' individual traits, product attributes, brand characteristics, spokespersons' individual traits, and advertising appeals.
By delineating theoretical distinctions and interconnections, this paper identifies distinct cognitive processing pathways associated with each theory. Markedness theory plays a pivotal role during initial information processing, demonstrating how dialect advertisements rapidly capture consumer attention through distinctive linguistic features. Dual process theory further refines subsequent processing stages: System 1 triggers automated processing based on preexisting dialect stereotypes, eliciting social identity effects, while System 2 engages consumers in deliberate evaluation of advertisement content. At this stage, Spatial presence explains how dialect linguistic characteristics and cultural attributes enhance product authenticity perceptions and enrich consumers' sensory experiences. Given the potential simultaneity of these interrelated cognitive processes, the paper proposes integrative possibilities across theoretical frameworks: System 1 processing in dual-process theory corresponds to stereotype-based cognitive-affective responses encompassing social identity effects, whereas markedness theory implicitly incorporates fluency processing of dialect information when explaining advertisement markedness. These theoretical intersections provide novel directions for future research. At the same time, the paper further advances a theoretical model of dialect stereotype effects in advertising, which can offer some implications for advancing theoretical frameworks and mechanistic investigations in dialect advertising research.
Future research should prioritize three directions. First, diversifying linguistic forms in dialect advertisements through innovative approaches such as dialect-standard language hybrid advertisements and specific dialectal features (e.g., inverted sentence structures, retroflex suffixes, reduplication patterns). Second, examining how cultural values—particularly collectivism-individualism orientations, temporal perspectives, and cultural identification levels—moderate advertising persuasion effects through empirical validation of underlying mechanisms. Third, exploring artificial intelligence (AI) applications in dialect advertising, including investigating the effectiveness of dialect advertisements in AI environments, identifying key influencing factors, and developing theoretical foundations for integrating dialect advertising design with AI technologies to drive innovation in advertising practices.

Key words: dialect advertisements, stereotypes, dual process theory, social identity theory, spatial presence