Why are they targeting the influencers and not the advertisers? Because that's the only target of opportunity. They'd target the advertisers, eg like the dump Rush campaigns of old, if they could.
Except they choose to destroy people they disagree with rather than countering their arguments; it's a completely different phenomenon, aptly described in its 50s McCarthyite form in The Crucible, which has little relevance to consumer boycotts then or now, but describes contemporary Cancel Culture perfectly.
How does the counter information strategy work? Anti Limbaugh people have tried fact checking, mocking, discrediting, etc. The only thing that seems to have tempered his show is attacking his advertisers.
Imagine you really oppose Rachel Maddow or Alex Jones. How would you negate their influence?
I don't know any popular new style influencers on the left. So let's say Ben Shapiro and Carlos Masa (because I have no better idea). How would you bounce them?
The only angle of attack I can think of is a smear campaign.
The only successful campaign I know of is Milo. My take is the Mercers got sick of his schtick. So maybe attacking patrons, which are a different kind of advertisers, works too.
