Nation branding has become a popular trend in the current highly competitive economic realm. Thisrnis mainly because an increasing number of countries are engaging in branding themselves targetingrnto reap the fruits of having a good country image and reputation. A countryâ€Ÿs good image is arnnecessary prerequisite to attract investment, tourism and skilled man-power. Countries use theirrnpotential resources which makes them unique from other countries- be it their geographical location,rntechnological advancement, cultural heritages and economic strength. For any nation brandingrnactivity to become successful, building the necessary relationship between the country and itsrnstakeholders is imperative. It is at this juncture that public relations posit as an essential componentrnin creating a positive country image. Ethiopia, though blessed with a significant amount of culturalrnheritages, seems lagging behind in this endeavor. This study intends to examine the countryâ€Ÿs effortsrnin branding itself using its cultural heritages, particularly its use of strategic public relations inrnbranding activities. The research is meant to look into the systematic practice and the role of publicrnrelations for branding a nation in the Ethiopian context by taking three relevant study sites- thernMinistry of Culture and Tourism(MOCT), Tourism Ethiopia and, the Authority for Research andrnConservation of Cultural Heritage(ARCCH). Hence, the core objective of this research is torninvestigate the role and practice of public relations in nation branding using the cultural heritages ofrnthe country. The research utilizes a qualitative research approach in order to gather and analyze therndata gained through the in-depth interview with key informants which were picked using purposivernsampling technique. The data garnered through the in-depth interview with nine key informants werernanalyzed thematically. Moreover, documents relevant for the research, such as manuals and onlinernmaterials, are also analyzed through document analysis. The findings of the research demonstratedrnthat the organizations are in most cases, without the proper and scientific ways of practicing publicrnrelations and the strategic ways of implementing public relations in nation branding activities. Inrnthis case, concerning the practice of public relations, findings in most cases do not correspond withrnthe Excellence theory, which this study used as a theoretical framework to examine the practice ofrnpublic relations in these organizations. In this regard, except for the empowerment of the publicrnrelations function in the dominant coalition, the organizations do not appear to have practiced somernkey tasks such as the integration of all communication functions under a single department,rnidentifying the role of the PR professional, and the specific PR model that the organization intends tornadapt. As far as the PR strategy that these organizations follow when conducting nation brandingrnfunctions, findings revealed that they are more engaged in image management than the relationshiprnbuilding approach which is the core junction of most PR activities. Finally, this research forwardedrnrecommendations emphasizing on the best practices of public relations and PR strategies thatrnaugment nation branding programs.