Metropolist has been launched in response to a genuine demand from consumers outside metro hubs, becoming the first major player to bring local lifestyle content to regional markets at scale.

Set to launch on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast in early November, the network will grow to reach 14 independent markets by end 2016, with an estimated audience of two million readers – 50 per cent local residents, and 50 per cent tourists looking for destination inspiration.

With major brands projecting a 60 per cent increase in branded content creation within the next 12 months, Metropolist offers a strong channel solution for those who wish to connect with the 11 million Australians living outside of the capital cities – a clean slate to engage, away from the saturation of metro marketing.

While most Australian lifestyle publishers focus solely on life in the city, Metropolist will bring a regional spin – catering equally to sophisticated regional readers and savvy tourists looking to discover and immerse themselves in life-affirming local experiences.

Metropolist will mirror the content strategy that has driven The Urban List’s success (the parent site currently attracts 1.4 million unique browsers/month), pairing relevant, sharable hyper local content with memorable branded content opportunities; dedicated local teams producing and curating content across the key verticals of Food + Drink, Fashion + Design, Health + Fitness, Beauty and Travel 365 days a year.

Susannah George, founder and director of The Urban List and Women of the Year for B&T’s Women in Media Awards, said the launch of Metropolist was all about bringing readers aspirational, credible and relevant lifestyle content, whilst offering select brands a means of connecting with customers outside of metro areas digitally and meaningfully.

“The digital consumption statistics are pretty revealing,” she said. “According to Roy Morgan, more regional consumers are devouring lifestyle content than their peers in the city – the only catch is, that content isn’t local.

“Metropolist was created in response to a gaping hole in the Australian digital landscape – 11 million Australians desperate for digital lifestyle content with relevance to them, and a generation of marketers desperate for content-led solutions to connect with almost half our country’s population.

“Whether you’re a local, a city-dweller researching your next holiday, or a brand looking for new growth opportunities, Metropolist offers the chance to tap into an aspirational, accessible lifestyle community, delivering national reach with local context, relevance, trust and credibility.”