Dive Brief:

• Amazon has hired former ABC marketing boss and chief creative officer Mike Benson as head of brand marketing and creative development for Amazon Digital Video. 
• Benson will oversee marketing and advertising for Amazon's original TV series. Just last week, Amazon announced it had ordered five new original shows.
• Prior to his ABC position at Time Warner and short stint at L.A. consulting company, Benson served 12 years as the executive vice president of marketing at Disney/ABC Television Group. 

Dive Insight: 

Amazon has been steadily building its original TV lineup and growing its number of network shows—including a deal with Viacom in 2013 and a more recent agreement with HBO. Those ties with network shows and its focus on video ads will increase Amazon's competition not only with other streaming services, but with traditional TV. Amazon still hasn't had a huge breakout hit like Netflix's "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black," so bringing on a marketing executive from the network world could help Amazon move towards being a original series powerhouse.