Trends, according to the Joziasse, that caused the design to go beyond mere aesthetics and/or decoration in becoming a source for gaining sustainable competitive advantage was supposed to be:

• design as a core competency;
• integration of design into the business world;
• design management and planning as a focus for consultancies;
• the merging of business and design education.

The consequence was that some prospective corporations have developed design as a continuous element of corporate strategy.  And out of that is the claim that sustained design strategy allows companies to take leadership positions in their sectors.

Sources:
Joziasse, Frans. Corporate Strategy: Bringing Design Management into the Fold in Lockwood Th. & Walton Th. (eds). 2008. Building Design Strategy: Using Design to Achieve Key Business Objectives. DMI & Allworth Press, 257 p.
Lockwood, Thomas. Design Value: A Framework for Measurment in Lockwood Th. & Walton Th. (eds). 2008. Building Design Strategy: Using Design to Achieve Key Business Objectives. DMI & Allworth Press, 257 p.