Marketing budgets are set to rise for the tenth consecutive quarter but to the weakest degree, driven by mounting worries about the global economy as marketers demand greater accountability, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report. Ad spend increases were claimed by 4.4% of companies surveyed in the third quarter, a sharp drop on the 12.2% jump posted in the second quarter. Companies' hopes for better financial prospects plummeted to a nine-quarter low of 6.9%, compared to the previous quarter’s 13%.