In the following sentence with a blank, choose the most appropriate word. At this critical juncture what the company needs is a __________ marketing strategy.

Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary based question asks you to fill in the blank in a sentence about a company needing a certain type of marketing strategy at a critical time. The sentence is from a business context, and the correct word must fit both the grammar and the meaning. The options include words that are similar in form but different in meaning, such as credible and creditable, which often confuse learners.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The sentence reads: At this critical juncture what the company needs is a __________ marketing strategy.• The company is at an important turning point, so it needs a suitable, effective plan.• The most appropriate adjective would describe a strategy that can be trusted or believed in.

Concept / Approach:
The main difference between the key options is as follows. Credible means believable or convincing. Creditably is the adverb from creditable, and creditable as an adjective means praiseworthy or deserving credit. Incredible means unbelievable or extraordinary and is often used in a positive emotional sense but would suggest that the plan itself is unbelievable, which is not the intended meaning here. Adventurous means daring or risky, not necessarily trustworthy. In a business context, when the company is at a critical juncture, it usually needs a solid, realistic and convincing strategy, that is, a credible one.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand the context: the company is going through an important, perhaps risky period and requires careful planning.Step 2: Think about what qualities a marketing strategy should have in such a situation. It should inspire confidence among stakeholders and be realistic, not just daring or flashy.Step 3: Compare the meanings of the options. Adventurous suggests risk taking, incredible suggests something hard to believe, creditable suggests worthy of praise, and credible suggests believable.Step 4: Select credible because a believable and convincing marketing strategy is exactly what is needed at a critical juncture.Step 5: Check the full sentence with the chosen word: At this critical juncture what the company needs is a credible marketing strategy. It sounds natural and logically consistent.

Verification / Alternative check:
Test each alternative in the sentence. A creditable marketing strategy would mean a strategy that deserves praise, which is not wrong but is less precise than credible, because the focus at a critical time is on trust and believability rather than applause. An adventurous strategy might actually be dangerous when the company is under pressure. An incredible marketing strategy would sound informal and suggest exaggeration rather than solid planning. Credible best matches the notion of a sound, reliable plan.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a: creditable describes performance that deserves credit or praise, but it is not the standard word for a realistic, trustworthy plan.Option b: adventurous emphasises taking risks and trying bold experiments, which may not be wise at a critical juncture.Option c: incredible literally means not credible or unbelievable, which is opposite to what a sensible company should want in a strategic plan.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates confuse credible and creditable because both share the same root credit. It helps to remember that credible is about belief while creditable is about praise. Another common error is to be attracted to impressive sounding words like incredible without checking whether their core meaning fits the sentence. In exam situations, always match the dictionary meaning with the context instead of relying only on how stylish a word sounds.

Final Answer:
At an important turning point, the company needs a marketing strategy that is believable and trustworthy. Correct answer: credible.