Why Every Brand Needs a Music Strategy ft. Jesse Kirshbaum

In this episode, we sit down with Jesse Kirshbaum, Founder & CEO of Nue Agency, to unpack why music is the most underused channel in modern marketing and how brands can build real cultural leverage by working with artists.Before Nue's pivot into brand work, Jesse spent his early career as a talent agent, signing artists like Mike Posner, Chiddy Bang, J Cole, Big Sean, and Logic, and helped shape the digital era of music discovery.What we cover:➜ Why music is undervalued as a marketing and brand channel➜ Jesse's 18 year arc from talent agent to brand strategist➜ How signing emerging artists shaped his thesis on culture➜ The Sour Patch Kids campaign that took a candy brand to number one➜ Why every brand should have a music strategy in some form➜ How to measure ROI when you're shifting culture, not just clicks➜ Why musicians are the sherpas of culture for new technology➜ How AI music is reshaping the creator economy and brand work➜ Why music can change consumer behavior on a physiological level(00:01) - - Welcome to Founder-Led Podcast (00:08) - - Sponsored by Frontier Content Studio (00:33) - - Introduction to Jesse Kirshbaum (01:10) - - Jesse's Origin Story in Music (02:59) - - Transition to New Agency (06:34) - - Leveraging Music in Brand Strategy (09:18) - - Importance of Music Strategy for Brands (12:27) - - Measuring Music's Impact on Marketing (13:56) - - Case Study: Sour Patch Kids Campaign (17:56) - - Benefits for B2B Brands with Music (19:04) - - Threshold for Investing in Music Strategy (20:41) - - Closing the Loop on Event ROI (22:04) - - Music's Role in Enhancing Experiences (23:13) - - AI's Impact on Music and Marketing (27:17) - - Parting Message for Brand Builders (28:43) - - Where to Find Jesse's Newsletter If you're a founder, CMO, or brand builder trying to break through in a saturated market, this conversation will give you a fresh playbook for using music to build affinity, attention, and lasting cultural relevance.Recommended Resources:➜ Jesse Kirshbaum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessekirshbaum/Connect with Rohan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohankarunakaran