Great write-up, Katie. I don't think most brands care for any cause (as Emmanuel mentioned in his comment) - their campaigns are probably centered around an issue that could elicit some reaction from audiences.

If people agree with their take, great, if not, even better. Once a controversy or debate erupts on social media, irrespective of what's going on, the brand gains traction. Usually the brand's name trends for a day or two and they would have achieved what they set out to do in the first place. I'm always skeptical of profit-driven corporate enterprises 'championing' people's causes (as many have been doing over the past couple of years).