Eric Hamilton, PhD
I turn complex ideas into clear educational products, campaigns, and content systems.
linkedin.com/in/eric-r-hamilton
Email: [email protected]
Recent Projects
Fable to Forum
A progressive practice system for learning the progymnasmata
I designed The Fourteen to revive the classical progymnasmata as a modern, bite-sized practice system for building rhetorical skill. Before students were trusted with a full speech, they worked through fourteen smaller exercises that move from retelling to testing to deciding. Each exercise takes only a few minutes: learners spot the move, then build it themselves.The sequence is grouped into three progressive stages—Retell (exercises 1–4), Test (5–10), and Decide (11–14)—so users practice narrative, analysis, and deliberative judgment in order. The project translates an ancient training sequence into a clear, interactive learning experience that emphasizes active practice over passive definition, reflecting my approach to instructional design: make complex rhetorical traditions accessible, structured, and immediately usable.
Sell Me This Pen
An interactive lab for practicing persuasion and judgment
I turned the familiar “sell me this pen” challenge into a branching learning experience that puts audience awareness and persuasive reasoning into practice. Learners navigate conversations with different buyers, choose their next move, and explore how their decisions shape the exchange. Coaching and reflection help them ask useful questions, connect product features to actual needs, support their claims, and recognize when an offer doesn’t fit.The project brings together my background in rhetoric, instructional design, and educational storytelling—translating complex communication principles into an approachable experience where learners can test an approach, examine the response, and adjust their thinking.
Pentad Prism
A generative learning module for exploring motive, meaning, and perspective
I developed Pentad Prism to translate a complex framework from rhetorical theory into an accessible, interactive learning experience. Based on Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad, the module teaches learners to examine how different elements of human action shape our interpretations of events, motivations, and responsibility. Through guided exercises and interactive analysis, learners generate and compare explanations, explore relationships between concepts, and apply the method to unfamiliar situations.Rather than presenting theory as a collection of definitions, I designed the experience around active interpretation, experimentation, and applied practice. The project reflects my approach to instructional design: combining academic research, clear explanations, and thoughtful interactivity to make complex ideas understandable, engaging, and useful beyond the lesson.
Brands I've Built
(from Scratch)
Reclaiming Rhetoric
Building an accessible public-education brand around complex academic ideas
The challengeRhetoric is highly useful for understanding argument, media, persuasion, public discourse, and everyday communication. But it is often presented either as a jargon-heavy academic subject or reduced to a few oversimplified concepts.What I builtI developed Reclaiming Rhetoric as a multi-format educational platform that translates rhetoric and argumentation into clear, practical, visually engaging public-facing content.The project includes a long-form YouTube series, short-form educational videos, a cohesive editorial and visual system, and a 100+ page digital guide, An Introduction to Rhetoric.My roleAudience strategy, brand positioning, topic and curriculum architecture, academic research, long-form scripting, explanatory storytelling, visual direction, YouTube packaging, ebook development, product-page messaging, publishing workflows, and cross-format content repurposing.The approachRather than treating each video or chapter as an isolated deliverable, I built a connected educational system. Foundational concepts lead into more advanced topics; long-form lessons generate short-form content; the ebook provides a structured learning product; and each format reinforces a consistent promise: intellectual substance without academic gatekeeping.What this work demonstratesThe ability to move from domain expertise to a complete educational product and content-marketing ecosystem—while preserving accuracy, accessibility, audience relevance, and a coherent brand experience.
Modern Boomer Guides
Designing a respectful educational product system for older adults
The challengeTechnology education for older adults is frequently too technical, too vague, fear-based, or unintentionally condescending. The audience needs practical guidance without being treated as incapable.What I builtI developed Modern Boomer Guides as a direct-to-consumer education and publishing brand that helps older adults understand modern technology, communication, online safety, entertainment, and changing family expectations.The current product line includes nine paid visual guides, free educational articles, video explainers, product samples, Shopify product pages, and supporting social content. The live site also displays five verified customer ratings.My roleAudience positioning, product-line strategy, brand voice, educational framework, guide development, ecommerce setup, Shopify copy, SEO content, video strategy, social publishing, visual direction, promotional messaging, product samples, offers, and ongoing optimization.The strategyI centered the brand on dignity rather than deficiency. The content uses plain language, modular explanations, visual examples, then-versus-now comparisons, quick-reference sections, and reassuring context. The goal is not merely to explain a device or platform; it is to reduce confusion while preserving the reader’s confidence and independence.That audience promise is visible throughout the live brand, which explicitly emphasizes explanations without jargon, pressure, fear, or talking down.
Corporate Experience
Cruise Planners
Connecting lifecycle messaging, CRM strategy, and a high-consideration prospect journey
The challengeProspective franchise owners do not make a quick or simple purchase decision. They need different information, reassurance, proof, and next steps at different points in the journey.My workI supported the prospective franchisee journey through lifecycle email, segmented messaging, integrated campaigns, landing-page copy, HubSpot workflows, lead scoring, reporting, A/B testing, campaign coordination, and sales-marketing alignment.The approachInstead of treating each email, advertisement, landing page, or CRM task as a separate deliverable, I focused on the larger journey: what prospective owners needed to understand, what concerns were likely to appear, and how messaging and systems could help move qualified prospects toward a conversation.What this work demonstratesCommercial marketing experience, cross-functional collaboration, lifecycle strategy, CRM fluency, audience segmentation, data-informed decision-making, and the ability to connect content with business-development objectives.Representative Samples Available Upon Request
Professional Experience
Manager, Franchise Marketing — Cruise Planners
Lifecycle campaigns, HubSpot systems, franchisee acquisition messaging, reporting, and cross-functional campaign execution.Marketing Communications Manager — Anago Cleaning Systems
Email, webinars, internal and franchise communications, brand messaging, campaign content, and stakeholder coordination.Web Content Specialist — Flex Seal Family of Products
Ecommerce content, SEO, email support, website optimization, analytics, and testing.University Educator & Assistant Writing Lab Director — Clemson University
Four years teaching Composition and Rhetoric, Technical Writing, and Business Writing, along with writing-center leadership, curriculum support, and one-on-one communication coaching.
Background
I’m a research-driven marketer, educator, and content strategist who specializes in making complicated subjects easier to understand and act on.Before moving fully into marketing, I spent four years teaching university writing and communication courses, including Composition and Rhetoric, Technical Writing, and Business Writing, and served as Assistant Director of Clemson University’s Writing Lab.Since then, I have worked across web content, marketing communications, franchise marketing, lifecycle email, CRM, SEO, ecommerce, video strategy, and digital publishing. I have supported established organizations and built educational products and audience systems from the ground up.The common thread is translation: understanding an audience, finding the structure inside a complex subject, and developing content that helps people move from confusion to clarity—and from interest to action.I’m now seeking a full-time remote role where I can combine education, content strategy, product marketing, audience development, and thoughtful experimentation within an intellectually curious team.PhD, Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design
Clemson University