Ita Buttrose scooped by tablet publishing start-up Reddo

Tablet publishing start-up Reddo Media Services has secured magazine industry pioneer Ita Buttrose as its chairman, with the Cleo founding editor also investing in the business.

Based in Sydney, Reddo Media Services is the brainchild of former CBS Interactive commercial director Troy Martin and Shane Mitchell, former managing director of content company HS3.

Mitchell holds the reigns as chief executive while Martin serves as chief operating officer.

Reddo has completed a first round capital raising, with backers including Buttrose and former News Ltd executive Alasdair Macleod.

“Given the market we’re working in, we were looking for a chairperson that wanted to be actively involved,” Mitchell says.

“We also wanted someone with great experience of working at a board level. We put together a shortlist of people who we thought would be great, and at the top of our list was Ita.”

“She has a huge experience in running very successful publishing enterprises, and her influence is massive.”

Mitchell says the company’s advisor, Tim Goodman, used his connections in order to set up a meeting with Buttrose, giving Reddo an opportunity to pitch their idea to her.

“An effective pitch comes down to the quality of your idea… We told her that while a lot of companies around the world were zigging, we were going to zag,” Mitchell says.

“Rather than create another thing for publishers to worry about, we would create a service that would take all their pain away. She was really excited about this idea.”

“Ita is passionate about publishing, and she’s passionate about it in all of its forms.”

Reddo offers print publishers the ability to effectively outsource the production of tablet editions, using Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite to produce the apps.

In addition to helping develop the tablet content, the company also offers to work with publishers as an advertising sales house, including developing tablet advertisements.

Buttrose says she is excited by what tablets have to offer to both magazine publishers and business clients.

“Tablet publishing is a far more cost-efficient, modern way to produce a magazine… I am looking forward to helping established publishers transform their publications,” she said.

“Reddo has the expertise to help publishers publish on tablet without them having to invest in new and ever-changing software, staff and endless internal training.”

Buttrose said publishers couldn’t ignore the opportunity to create a digital version of their publications. By 2016, it’s predicted half of all Australians will be tablet users.

According to Buttrose, there is also a “tremendous opportunity” to launch titles exclusively on tablets.

Foundation clients include Switzer Media + Publishing, Prime Creative Media, Culture Media, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Jobpac and magazine industry peak body Publishers Australia.