• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, April 27, 2012

Aegis Group, the parent of Carat, Isobar, Posterscope and other media services networks, this morning reported healthy gains for the first quarter of 2012. Total revenues rose 17.0% and “organic” revenues rose 8.1%.

Aegis Media, the unit managing the company’s media services networks, had an organic revenue growth rate of 8.0%.

Aegis said the media group’s growth was driven by “strong momentum” across the group’s network brands, and singled out The Americas, which yielded an organic growth rate of 20.3% during the quarter.

“Our performance in the region benefited from an outstanding new business record in North America over the last two years, as well as continued strong results from our market-leading digital business in Brazil,” Aegis said in the report, adding that Asia Pacific organic revenues rose 12.5%, with a significant boost from China.

EMEA remained its weakest region in terms of first-quarter performance, generating an organic revenue growth of +1.7%, although that compares with a double-digit growth rate the prior year.

Aegis said the outlook for advertising budgets from its clients to date has been “resilient” and noted that their budgets for the remainder of the year “retain growth.”