At least two of the start-ups - channel:one and Friend - are backed by mainstream agencies, while a handful of other independent shops have also sprung up. Channel:one is supported by John Singleton's STW Communications Group; Principals has a minority stake in Friend.
Practitioners put the new wave down to a combination of increased client budgets, birth of new media channels and a dearth of direct marketing choice.
As a point of difference channel:one aims to combine two sets of skills: digital communication and brand management. "Most of these traditional direct agencies started their thinking processes before interactive came about," said channel: one director Sally Martyn.
"But no one's really looking at the total opportunity of direct and, as we call it, the direct channels."
Similarly, Friend is opting to push beyond the stubbornly-held idea that direct marketing is a sideline industry and deliver an alternative solution for clients. "It's called Friend because Peter (Vierod, business partner) and I believed there was a need for an agency that simplified what everything was about," Friend strategy partner Tony Rambaut said.
"Particularly over the last four-to-five years there's been so much focus on technology, CRM solutions, on process. Given that fundamentally it's still all about customers' we wanted to introduce something that brought it back to what it was really about and help brands get back to their customers."
Another new outfit Malcolm Auld Direct is a fresh start from long-time direct marketing practitioner and speaker Malcolm Auld. Over the past two years Auld had opted out of agency management and spent his time consulting and hosting lectures around the world.
Malcolm Auld Direct is a response to what Auld perceived as a growing need from clients for independent direct marketing advice.
"Most of the people (in the new DM wave) have been there and done it before," Auld said. "Most in many ways have been frustrated in a multinational environment.
"Also you've had the multinationals buy up independents or open their own shops, and a lot of clients just don't want that solution, or they want an agency that's media neutral."