People hire people. Interviews are where a candidate makes an impression. But when narrowing down who to bring to an interview, or in who a recruiter can help sell to a manager as someone to interview, the brand helps. It makes someone stand out.

It's a way of checking a reference, of seeing what a person does or is involved in. It allows you a chance to pre-interview and pre-screen candidates. If you're not using it, blandry, I think you're missing out. It can help you to make a decision about which 3-5 people are worth your time to bring in.