*By Tracey Cheek*
Marketing management platform Traackr found that 72 percent of major brands are dedicating a large portion of their budgets to influencers. And 2018, it seems, has produced hordes of them on social media, from fashion to fitness.
One of social media’s biggest stars Josh Ostrovsky, a.k.a [The Fat Jewish](https://www.instagram.com/thefatjewish/) told Cheddar that influencer fatigue is real.
“The number keeps growing and growing and growing and the real estate becomes less valuable,” Ostrovsky told Cheddar. “Unless you’re falling on a treadmill, I don’t want to see your workout.”
So which of them deserve your attention? Here is Cheddar's list of five to watch.
**Travelgram**
Social media can be a portal for travel fantasy, allowing us to browse photos for hours on end while imagining we can afford to fly to Iceland at a moment's notice and bunk in a yurt. Cue surf-and-adventure photographer [Chris Burkard](https://www.instagram.com/chrisburkard/), who posts a range of travel porn, ranging from Alpaca-selfies to breathtaking shots from high-up in a helicopter in Hawaii. Burkard has 3.2 million followers on Facebook's ($FB) Instagram, is the author of a children's book, has his own line of camera bags, and hosts photo workshops at a price tag of up to $4,000.
**Esports Takeover**
Professional gamer [Tyler Blevins, a.k.a Ninja](https://www.instagram.com/ninja/), has been making serious waves in the gaming industry. Earlier this year, Ninja played "Fortnite" with Drake ー amassing a record-setting 600,000-plus views on Twitch. The gamer has 11.8 million followers on Instagram and 20.1 million subscribers on YouTube. He also brought home three Gamers' Choice Awards ー for Fan Favorite Esports Player of the Year, Fan Favorite Gamer Moment, and the 2018 Super Nova Honor.
**Working on my Fitness**
Fitness influencers can arguably be the most competitive category ー from promoting detox teas, workout tutorials, or even client transformations. [Michelle Lewin](https://www.instagram.com/michelle_lewin/) amassed 13.3 million followers on Instagram, surpassing Bikini Body Guide creator [Kayla Itsines](https://www.instagram.com/kayla_itsines/) who's staying strong with 10.6 million Instagram followers. Lewin offers workouts and nutrition guides to her fans and has her own clothing line as well as a line of supplements.
**Four-Legged Friends**
Move over Lil BUB and Doug the Pug ー there's a new dog-fluencer in town. Meet [Jiffpom](https://www.instagram.com/jiffpom/) the record-breaking pup with over 30 million followers across all social media channels. Jiffpom is a three-time Guinness World Record holder and has over 8.9 million followers on Instagram alone. The record-breaking Pomeranian doesn't sell pet products, but has his own line of puzzles sold at Target ($TRGT), in addition to iPhone cases and an app. The pup is a big hit with tech giants, and even helped [unveil Instagram's new augmented-reality filters](https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-dog-star-jiff-pom-facebook-f8-2018-5) at its F8 Developer Conference.
**Beauty**
[Huda Kattanis](https://www.instagram.com/hudabeauty/) is a makeup artist and beauty blogger with a massive 29.8 million following on Instagram. Kattan founded her own "Huda Beauty" cosmetics line that is on track to bring in $400 million in retail sales this year. The maven has attributed her success to her "weirdness."
**Read all the 2018 Cheddar Awards [here](https://www.cheddar.com/tags/cheddar-awards).**
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
Starbucks’ AI barista aims to speed service and improve experience. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune Business Editor, explains its impact on workers and customers.
As Big Tech reports Q3 earnings, investors await proof that massive AI and cloud investments from Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet are driving real growth.
Eric Trump joins us to discuss American Bitcoin’s mission, market strategy, and why he believes the U.S. must lead the next era of digital currency innovation.
