Questions: time is the time necessary to prepare a promotional program prior to launching it.

The answer is (E) Lead: the original text in the question...

Explanation for each option:

(A) Link: This term generally refers to a connection or relationship between two things. It does not fit the context of preparing a promotional program.

(B) Sell-in: This term is often used in marketing to describe the process of convincing retailers to stock a product. It is not related to the preparation time for a promotional program.

(C) Hold: This term usually means to keep something in a particular position or to delay. It does not fit the context of preparation time.

(D) Setup: While this term can refer to the process of arranging or preparing something, it is not specifically used to describe the time necessary to prepare a promotional program.

(E) Lead: In project management and marketing, "lead time" refers to the amount of time needed to prepare and complete a task before it is launched. Therefore, "lead" is the correct term for the time necessary to prepare a promotional program prior to launching it.