E-commerce customer experience: Marketplace or yourbrand.com?

Marketplaces like Lazada, JD, Shopee, and Taobao/Tmall have attracted brands large and small as well as countless no-name sellers. Is a presence on these platforms still essential? How do you differentiate, and how do you make your brand come to life in a standardised environment? Should you operate your own e-commerce destination? We explore these questions, and more, from a customer experience point of view.